


Song On The Dunes

by Chocobohoney



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Dating, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Other, POV Female Character, Rough Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Team as Family, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2020-07-11 15:30:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 49,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19930348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocobohoney/pseuds/Chocobohoney
Summary: The Buggy Shop of Silver Lake used to be the king of the town when it came to renting out vehicles to race and explore the dunes of your hometown. It was a cherished place full of loving memories for you growing up, but now it's in distress.You, a human female desperate to get the place back up to its glory days, is trying everything you can to breathe life into the ailing business, but no matter what you try, you're just barely keeping your head above water.When two skeleton brothers get hired in by the owner, you're not sure how, but you're certain with them there the shops luck is sure to change.But, when a budding romance between you and the younger brother starts up...will it tear everything you've both worked for apart? Or will it be a new beginning for the whole town?





	1. Tourist Towns Attract The Strangest People

Perseverance

Noun.

1\. Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

Example: YOU...

You weren't sure the exact number of years you'd worked for Maxine and Dan, all you knew was that they'd just always seemingly been a part of your life. Your mother and Maxine had been best friends since long before you were born, and since then Maxine had been like an aunt to you as you grew up with Dan being a doting uncle, and the closest thing you'd had to a father figure throughout the course of your tumultuous life.  
Clever, cheerful, and ever the optimists, Maxine and Dan were, for their age, a force to be reckoned with. The eccentric duo ran a buggy rental business they owned among the dunes of Silver Lake, taking everything life handed to them without missing a beat, and rolling right along like the waves of the sea and instilling in you the same values; with the right attitude you could endure anything life throws at you!

You had been, for almost countless summers, helping them care for their business for as long as you could remember.   
Like the couple who ran it, the shop held many dear memories for you and your family, having spent many a holiday there helping out, or just having fun among the dunes with your brothers and sisters.  
Their shop crew and their mechanics were as dear to them as their own flesh and blood, and you had grown up alongside them every summer sharing lasting memories that you carried close to your heart.

As you had grown up though, and college life and adulthood came calling, you had found yourself unable to tear yourself away from the big city and the college you had been attending. Old faces at the shop slowly disappeared as some folk retired, others moved on with life...slowly being replaced by new faces, but you handled it with grace...time changes all things, after all.  
After you had graduated with a degree in business hoping to start your own small shop, Dan, sweet, loving, wonderful Dan was struck down by a heart attack out of the blue and sadly, passed away.

You remember the call as if it were yesterday. Your mother, in a voice choked with tears, informed you that Uncle Dan had died, having passed away in the ambulance ride to the hospital; you were only 23 years old at the time...  
The hole he'd left behind was huge, and life had felt so cruel to you back then; stars above how could the Universe take Dan away? How could it hurt your family like that? Hurt Aunt Maxine?  
But, as the saying goes "life goes on", and instead of giving up and selling hers and Dan's dreams away for a quiet retirement, Maxine kept the Dune Buggy Shop going.  
You couldn't let Maxine run that place by herself, and you figured with your degree you could help generate more business for the place. So, you and Maxine struck a deal: she and Dan had owned four little cottages that they used to rent out during the summer. She sold all but the biggest cottage, a 3 bedroom, 1 bath she had kept out of nostalgia. For reduced rent, and a paycheck for working at the shop, the place was yours...

.............

And there you were, 10 years later helping Aunt Maxine keep her and Uncle Dan's dream alive, and wondering if you were ever going to see yours take off...  
It seemed like Dan's death had been a catalyst in your life. It was almost as if his lack of presence had somehow shaken up the universe as Monsters made their comeback to the surface a few years later, your long-time boyfriend up and left you high and dry, and your siblings had all left the country to lead the exciting kind of lives you could only imagine in your dizziest day-dreams.  
..........  
You stood outside the buggy shop, coffee in hand, staring up at the shops fading sign trying to shake the early morning sluggishness and melancholy from your mind, the birds in the trees singing sweetly as the scent of the lake wafted through the street. The suns intense ray's quickly drying the remnants of last night's rain as it climbed up over the dunes and warmed the world around you.

"Ugh." You'd groaned as you noticed the last two letters in the board above the shop hung loose, making it look as if the letters had been tacked on by a very drunken carpenter. They must have come loose after last night's storm...

"Add that to the ever-growing list of shit I need to have fixed." You half laughed half sighed to yourself as you made your way into the shop passed the giant, glaringly bright pink sign in the window that screamed "NOW HIRING FOR MECHANIC AND SHOP POSITIONS" in bold, neon green letters; Maxine was anything but subtle...

The morning sun filled the buggy shop with golden light, and the feeling of being wrapped up in an invisible hug, soft and warm flooded your senses; sweet nostalgia washed over your soul as you passed Dan's picture on the wall which had been taken six years before his death. His dark eyes sparkled with merriment, his long, black dreads were kissed gently with grey streaks, and his beautiful black skin glowed with health as he smiled back in his photo. You could still hear his heavily-accented voice tease you.

"Aye, ma little girl! Rub dat sleep frum ya eyes! The day is beautiful and new, and so ah you! Ah ya ready fo a new advencha today?"  
Goddamn it you missed him...he was the closest thing you'd had to a father, and even after 10 years...  
You took a moment to shake your grief before facing your adopted aunt. You knew if she saw you sad, it would catch like wildfire and the last thing you wanted to see was her upset, too.

Maxine sat behind the shop counter tapping her pale fingers against her cheek, her petite form eyeing the days early bird reservations for that mornings dune rides, and writing it on the "Battle board" for base command (which was one of your many jobs).

"Mornin' Aunt Maxy!" You said, trying to sound cheerfull, and trying to stifle a yawn as you set your rapidly chilling bean brew on the worn counter next to your boss. Maxine didn't even bother looking over her shoulder at you.

"Morning (y/n)." She said with a grunt and a toss of her frizzy blond head, her mind obviously trying to work out the support staffs line up. As your eyes glanced over the board, you inwardly shuddered.   
Your support staff were the ones responsible for getting buggies loaded up on the transports, for getting guests out to the dunes and back in tact, for running maintenance errands, running gas... stars above their list of tasks was never less than a mountains worth, and in your eyes they were the very back bones of your team. And yet...

Your support team was grossly understaffed. At the bare minimum your team should have had seven people to help keep things between the shop and the dunes running smoothly: you had four people left, and the shop was paying for it, and the early bird riders were listed as 10 buggies needed right out the gate and you were three staffers short for that....and, and, and, and...

You sighed inwardly.

It was no surprise to you that business had been slowly declining over the years. After Uncle Dan had died, things just...slowly began to unravel, like a giant yarn ball in the claws of an overzealous kitten. Bit by bit, thread by thread, everything had just steadily gotten worse without his determination to lift everyone up, and while Aunt Maxine did wonders to hold things together...well...it was just barely together. For your part, you did your best to weather the financial storms that seemed to come and go, drumming up just enough business to keep your heads above water, but just barely and you were desperate for a break.

"So, what's the word for the day boss?" You asked, hoping to whatever benevolent spirits or things listening that you'd finally hear something good, news-wise.

"Well, I have two interviews today for the mechanic and shop clerk position at 10am, so there's that."  
You felt hope blossom in your chest, and you couldn't help the grin that was threatening to crack your face.

"That's excellent news Aunty Maxine. I'll make sure to put on a fresh pot of coffee before I get out to load trailers for the first round of Early Birds." You said, just as a familiar meow caught your attention; the shops mascot sauntered into the room with an air of chill so cool you'd have thought he was born with shades on, much like the Big Lebowski he'd been named after.

"That would be lovely (y/n). Ah, I see The Dude is right on time for his breakfast. Would you be a darling and feed him for me before you head out? I've just got to get this board done before my interviews get here, and hopefully today will see us with more than just our early birds, yes? It would be fantastic to have some walk-ins, then I could rub it in Wild Waynes face that we're not....what did he call us again?" Maxine asked, her green eyes half closed in thought.

"A dried up, graveyard for dead buggies?" You said with a quirked eyebrow, directly quoting the old coot.

"Yes! That! We'll show him! I've got a good feeling about today, and I just know things are going to turn around for us." She laughed warmly as she winked at you, her enthusiasm contagious; Wild Waynes Buggy Emporium had been one of the contending rivals to the Shop for years, and while Uncle Dan was alive Wayne's shop had always come in second place, but not so much nowadays...

You couldn't help but grin as you scooped up the 15 pound, orange and cream maincoon into your arms before you headed to the breakroom. The giant beasty snuggled closer into your arms purring contentedly knowing that food was around the corner; The Dude was easy to please and a great distraction from your thoughts, and the less you thought about the shops rivals, about Uncle Dan being gone, the better you'd feel.

"Cats..." you chuckled to yourself as you entered the messy breakroom. "You're such an easygoing, fluffy bastard. C'mon you old pole cat. Let's get you your noms, and get this day started."

After getting The Dude his food, and setting up a fresh pot of coffee, you headed down to the garage to see your mechanics and make sure you'd have enough buggies set to take out the morning riders with.   
Unlike the other competing buggy shops, your shop's garage wasn't attached to the main building, but was in it's own separate spot a short walk from the main hub due to its large size. Often times guests not even looking to rent a vehicle, but just needing repairs done on their own buggies, would come down, and for a small fee would have minor issues fixed for them.  
It had been another great way for the shop to bring in money back in the day when you'd had a full, functional staff to accommodate such things...

"Damnit Eric! I told you not to mess with my tool chest!" Ah, Nadia. The only female mechanic in the whole county, and one of the best damn machinists you'd ever seen stomped out of the garage in a huff, her short black hair tied up in a rainbow bandanna, and her beautiful, dark skin kissed with a couple of grease spots.

Her dark, cinnamon-brown eyes flashing with annoyance as she trudged over to one of the water pumps, snagging an empty pail and began filling the bucket with ice-cold water, all the while muttering and grumbling under her breath in her native Arabic. You watched Nadia hoist up the filled pail, a triumphant look on her brilliant face as she waltzed right back into the garage and....

The second after you heard the splash of water there came the girliest sounding man-shriek you'd ever heard! 

"NADIA! WHAT THE HELL?!?" Eric, the other mechanic, bellowed like an angry toddler from within the garage, and the moment you stepped in you saw why. He had been sitting on the cement floor next to buggy #4 completely drenched, and clutching a pristine wrench in his greasy hands. His long, bleach-blond ponytail clung to his broad, tanned shoulders as he glared angrily up at the smirking Nadia, though his dark, grey eyes glinted with mischief.

"Serves you right for rummaging in my tool chest. You've got your own tools, USE THEM! Stop stealing mine, and you won't get a cold bucket to the face again." She barked, snatching the wrench from his nefarious clutches.  
"But, yours are nicer than mine. Why can't you share with me? Pleeeeaaaase?" Eric batted his soaked lashes at his garage partner and gave his best whine, only to have her brandish the wrench in his face like a weapon.

"Stay off my stuff ya nutter, or I'll whack your head like a melon!"

You couldn't help the laugh that escaped you. It came rumbling up from your roly-poly belly and   
spilled over your lips in a jovial burst of glee, and it was spurred even further by the surprised faces of your cohorts as they stared at you only just realizing your presence.

"I swear, you two are worse than siblings!" You chortled. When your laughter had finally subsided you handed over the itinerary for the day, briefly going over what was needed. Both of your mechanics made sure the line up was set and ready before you headed down to where the loading busses waited hoping to find them ready.  
When you found that both busses were in need of cleaning, you quickly grabbed a broom and began sweeping them out; at least the loading trailers had already been set for the first load up, you thought as you headed back to the shop.   
You glanced at your watch, shocked to see that it had been almost two hours already and you still had to get the CB radio up and running AND get the paperwork ready for the buggy riders you knew would be flocking in soon.

You scrambled to move fast enough to get back before all hell broke loose; you really should have been paying more attention to the time, you chided yourself.   
You weren't in the greatest shape. Your body was a bit chunky, and even after having been on as many diets as you had in the past, your body fat was just so stubborn. At least you had a rockin pair of tits, you chuckled inwardly as you made your way to the Shops door, a little out of breath and wishing you were just a hair more athletic.  
The minute you stepped into the main hub you were greeted by a shocking sight. There, standing by the counter as if this was an everyday thing, was a skeleton about a half inch shorter than you. At first you'd thought it was a new prop; Maxine had mannequins outside on the roof by the shops sign and by the front door sporting merchandise to attract customers, but when it turned to look at you, you knew for a fact that this was no decoration, it was a monster. You'd dealt with monsters before, and had always welcomed their kind any time they came to your shop, but this was your first time seeing a skeleton monster.

Your eyes locked with his, and you weren't sure how you could tell he was Male other than a strong feeling in your gut but...  
Bright, almost shining pricks of light stared back at you from within dark sockets, and you found yourself thrown for a loop as it dawned on you that you were both wearing almost the exact same outfit! It was like staring at a funhouse mirror gone hilariously wrong, you thought.

You both had on a pair of black basketball shorts with white side stripes, and at a glance you could tell they were the exact same cheap brand from Wallymart, though yours looked clean and pressed while his looked to be covered in stains, ontop of being a little big for him.

The two of you were both sporting a white cotton t-shirt, but while yours was clean and free of wrinkles, his was sli-i-ightly dingy looking, as if he'd rolled out of bed and thrown on the nearest thing available from the dirty clothes pile, and it had a fresh-looking ketchup stain smack dab in the middle; you were even wearing the exact same color hoody, also a Wallymart brand, in a sharp shade of cerulean, but yours bore in cheap stitching the Shops logo.

The only difference between the two of you was that you had pink flip flops on, wore glasses, and had your long hair up in a ponytail, while he had pink bed slippers on, had no hair, and as far as you could tell, had perfectly good eye sight, and the cherry ontop of all that: he had on a bemused grin on his round mug.

Was it just you, or was his skull sweating the longer you stared? Could a skeleton actually sweat? You both even arched your eyebrows at each other in surprise, perfectly mimicking each others movements.  
You couldn't stop yourself. The laughter just bubbled up and out, and you had to hold your sides, you were laughing so hard; not every day you got belly laughs twice in a row.

The skeletons browbones arched even higher as the room filled with your contagious giggles, and it wasn't long before you heard the skeletons very masculine chuckles join in with yours.  
When your laughter had FINALLY subsided, and you were just about to introduce yourself, Maxine came up front with a bunch of papers in her hands.

"Oh! (Y/n)! I see you've met Sans Comic. He's our new mechanic starting today...what's so funny?"

Maxine just stared at you as if you'd gone crazy.

"I'm so sorry for laughing like that Mr. Comic." You said as you reached out a hand to shake his, inwardly fascinated to feel that his boney mit was actually very warm, his bones almost soft to touch.  
"I just wasn't expecting to meet my fashion twin today, and I hope you don't find my humor distasteful. "

The skeleton chuckled good naturedly as he released your hand, and you noticed that his eye sockets at the corners crinkled with his smile. Remarkable!  
"please, call me sans. mr. comic was my dad. i gotta admit: wasn't expectin' to see anyone else dressed like me today, either. as far as laughs go, i found yours to be humerous, and it tickled my funny bone, too."  
You snickered.  
Maxine took a moment, her eyes darted between you and Sans before she saw what the two of you were wearing before she, too, started laughing; did he just pun you both as well? You'd only just met this monster and already you could see the two of you being friends.

Suddenly, you saw another skeleton, this one clearly Male as you could see his narrow hip bones, step out from the back office only this fellow was exceptionally tall!

"HUMAN MAXINE, DO YOU REQUIRE I FILL OUT THE FORMAL APPLICATION AS WELL AS THE..." His loud, bright voice trailed off.

The moment your eyes met his sockets, it was as if time itself slowed down to a crawl and you were the only two people in the world standing there in the shop. You felt your heart begin to race in your breast, and your breath caught in your lungs as your gazes locked; forever never lasted so long.

Everything in that moment became intensely, sharply defined and it was as if every minute detail came screaming into your sights and engraving itself in your brain: He was wearing a crisp, green flamingo buttonup that was just a hair too short for him exposing his iliac crests and his...middle(?), and a pair of what you assumed were khaki cargo capris... It was possible they were regular pants that only looked like capris on him due to his height, which you'd guessed to be around 6 feet tall. In one of his long, graceful-looking hands he held a fistful of documents neatly stacked, and in the other a blue ink pen. Taped to his long, handsome skull (and you were even more stunned at yourself that you found him attractive when he was literally a skeleton) were the dorkiest pair of neon purple shades you had ever seen sitting atop his head.

You stared at each other for what seemed an eternity, and you felt your cheeks flush crimson the longer you felt his...eyesockets looking at you. A sense of familiarity, of rightness seemed to well up from somewhere in your chest, and you weren't sure how you knew, but everything was going to be ok, and somehow this lanky bean pole was going to be a part of it all.

You'd have most likely stayed stuck like that, gawking at each other, had Sans not waved his carpals in front of the other skeletons gaping face, a feat you'd found inwardly hilarious due to their glaringly obvious height differences.

"earth to papyrus. you ok there, bro?"  
The other skeleton, whom you had heard Sans call Papyrus, comically shook his head as if the physical action could truly free him from the embarrassment of that shared moment; truth be told, you wanted to do the same...

"YES, SANS. I'M PERFECTLY FINE, I JUST...WAS...UM...ADMIRING THIS NEW HUMAN FEMALES...UH..." Papyrus fumbled with his words as his cheekbones flushed pink (how was a skeleton able to blush?), trying desperately not to let on the fact that he'd been staring at you like a moony-eyed idiot, something you'd both been guilty of doing...not that you were willing to admit that outloud.  
His browbones arched high (something you found to be another hilariously unique trait to the skeleton monsters) as if he'd finally found a worthy excuse to hide the obvious fact he'd been ogling you.

"...HOODY! YES! I WAS ADMIRING THIS HUMANS HOODY. IT'S A LOVELY SHADE OF BLUE. TOOK ME BY SURPRISE! IN FACT, YOUR HOODY COULD LOOK AS NICE AS HERS IF YOU'D LET ME WASH IT MORE OFTEN, BROTHER."

These two were brothers?   
Your cheeks blushed hard, and from the feel of it your face was probably redder than a beefsteak tomato in the summer sun.

Maxine looked up at Papyrus, her expression kind, almost motherly, but her eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth.

"You know sweety, if you like (Y/n)'s hoody so much, we might have one in your size with the Shops logo on it, if that tickles your fancy?"

A flurry of emotions crossed Papyrus' face, as if he'd had to think hard about so simple a thing as a hooded sweater; You swore you could almost hear the gears in his head grinding away, and your gut feeling was that he didn't like the idea of a hoody, but didn't know how to politely refuse. But after his excuse...

"Aunty Maxine, why don't you let me take Mr. Papyrus...?" You looked over at Papyrus, with questioning eyes, making sure it was ok to use his first name.

"PLEASE, MISS (Y/N), I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BUT YOU MAY SIMPLY CALL ME PAPYRUS FOR SHORT." He said with a half bow, and a flourish of his hands like that of a Victorian actor.  
You couldn't help the smile that curved your lips, and you'd nodded at him affirmatively, happy that your heated face had cooled down...somewhat...

"...I'll take Papyrus to the back room where all the extra shop polos are. That way he can pick out an appropriate uniform for him that will be comfortable. Besides, I think we're out of the XXXL hoodies at the moment anyways."

The relief on the taller skeleton's face was palpable, and you watched his broad, boney shoulders relax; over Maxine's head he sent you a grateful half smile, and you got the distinct impression he had something against that particular type of garb, and heavens above knew why.

"That's a great idea, (Y/N)! Since Papyrus will be training under you as of today, you can even show him around after you get his Shop uniform picked out."

The taller skeleton broke into the biggest smile, beaming down at you at Maxine's suggestion and you couldn't help the little flip your heart did in your chest at seeing his eagerness.

"OH HOW EXCITING!" He gushed, and it was then you saw his cheeks pinken again, and you found yourself wondering how you could find a skeleton to be so goddamned adorable.   
"I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN'T WAIT TO WORK WITH SO LOVELY A LADY! NYEH HEH HEH!"

You chuckled. "And I can't wait to show you around Papyrus, but before we can get to that, it looks like you've got some paperwork to finish."

Papyrus looked taken aback for a second, until it dawned on him that he was still clutching in his mitts a stack of papers.

"OH, YES OF COURSE! LET ME JUST..."

Maxine gently took hold of his stack before he could duck back into the office.

"Don't worry about the application dear. If anything, I've got all the important paperwork for you and Sans complete, the application was merely a formality for our antiquated files. You go on and follow (Y/N) as she goes about her day and she'll get you set up with a uniform. And (Y/N), don't worry about the early birds coming in. I'll take care of them while you get our newest teammates here the grand tour."

And with that Maxine extended her hand to the tall fellow, who grasped her hand with his huge, boney one and giving it a gentle shake.

"Welcome aboard the Buggy Shop Papyrus. It is my sincerest hope you and Sans will be happy here with us." She said warmly, and you watched as both brothers beamed back, and you felt for a moment like Uncle Dan was smiling down on you from heaven.  
Maybe FINALLY things were turning around.

~~~~  
It hadn't taken you long to find a bright purple polo shirt with the Buggy Shops logo on it in Papyrus's size; he'd quickly excused himself to the men's room to put on his new shirt, and when he'd come back out, he looked perfect.

As the week went on with you training him in shop duties, support staff duties and the like, you were happily surprised at how quick of a learner he was, and your guests, while at first shocked to see him at the desk or roving about the main hub, were otherwise delighted by his bright personality and attentiveness.   
By the time the end of the week rolled around, he no longer needed your help for 90% of the duties required of him which greatly lessened the burden on your shoulders; you made sure to tell him, too, just how grateful you were for his help and how amazed at how quickly he progressed in his training, tickled each time he blushed and preened at your praises.  
His brother Sans had Nadia and Eric wrapped around his boney, little pinky finger in under two days what with his easy attitude and penchant for puns. Not to mention his ability as a mechanic was unsurpassed, leading to a heated, albeit playful rivalry between him and Nadia.   
Every so often the other skeleton would meander into the Shop to "Grab a hot dog with extra ketchup" from the food counter, but you had him pegged by the end of their first week there; that was his favorite snack yes, but it was also a not-so-subtle way for him to check in on his bro...  
Even though Papyrus was clearly a grown-ass adult, you couldn't help but find it adorable that Sans did that; your own siblings had never done anything like that for you...

In between guests, and chores around the shop, you and Papyrus learned a lot about each other. Papyrus was Sans little brother, and they had been with the very last group of monsters to come up from the Underground, having helped as many families move up to the surface as possible before they themselves came up, too.

You'd shared with him how you'd practically grown up at the Buggy Shop, how Aunty Maxine and Uncle Dan had pretty much saved your mothers life when your birth father had walked out on you and your brothers and sisters.

"YOU HAVE FOUR SIBLINGS?" He'd exclaimed in surprise. 

"Well, yeah. Two sisters, and two brothers; is that so strange?" You'd asked him, bemused. 

"MAXINE, AND HER MATE DAN, THEY TOOK CARE OF YOU ALL?" His sockets had gone wide with intense curiosity.

"Yeah, sometimes. My mom worked two jobs to make sure we had a home and food, and she couldn't always be with us. Aunt Maxine and Uncle Dan, while not blood related, were like family to us, so they took care of us while Mom worked."

Papyrus seemed to consider this quietly.  
"GROWING UP, IT WAS JUST SANS AND ME, SO IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO PICTURE HAVING SO MANY TO SHARE A HOME WITH. I WAS ALWAYS LONELY, BEFORE I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO GO OUT ON MY OWN."  
He said before going back to chatting happily about the things he loved: race cars, anything remotely athletic, a passion for cooking (dude loved to carry on about spaghetti), and of course being super cool in the eyes of all who saw him; did you want to follow him on the web?  
You...were a little less forthcoming with everything you were passionate about. Your ex having browbeaten you into almost silence whenever you began to, in his words, gush about your interests, made you hesitant to share; you didn't want to annoy anyone...  
But for some reason, you felt like you could open up, maaaaaybe just a little bit with Papyrus...but not right now. You wanted to get to know him a little better before you geeked out on him about your loves.

Of all the conversations you'd had though, the one thing you couldn't peg was where he and his brother were living...not that it was a pressing matter, but you had found it kind of odd how he almost outright avoided the topic of where he and Sans stayed. It only became really weird on your radar when Aunt Maxine needed their address for their documents and pay checks, and all that was given was a PO box, no home address.

"sorry about all this confusion, but papyrus and i are really private about our...home. don't want junk mail or solicitors showin' up. get a ton of those tryin' to con monsters into ridiculous insurance deals and all that jazz in the big cities, and unless you're a girl scout sellin' baked goods, I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles."

Seemed like a legitimate concern, especially if there were nosy solicitors (and you knew how pushy some could be from back when you were in college) trying to take advantage of the compassionate nature of the newly arrived monsters. Still, something in your gut did feel kind of...off about his reply, but you let it go for the moment as there was no real call to doggedly pursue something so mundane.

It did, however, become an issue for you about a month into them working there however, and your life was suddenly turned upside down in the matter of mere hours because of a simple address or, in Sans and Papyrus case, the lack thereof....tourist towns always did attract the strangest people...


	2. Buggy Shop Bebop

The night you'd found out just why the boys used a PO box had started off like any other. You'd just bid all of the other employees good night after a hard days work when you noticed that the sky above was heavy with storm clouds; Sans and Papyrus had seemed to linger a little longer there at the shop than the other employees, but you chalked that up to the fact that Papyrus loved to talk, and sometimes got carried away when he spoke.

A low growl rumbled above, and it made you wince a little; judging by its sound this storm was going to be a doozy, and the lack of wind and oppressive humidity in the air seemed to reinforce this.  
No big deal, you thought as you made your way to your car absentmindedly; You'd just hunker down in your pile of pillows on the couch and ride out the storm playing Zelda, and chowing down on that frozen pizza you had stuffed in the freezer once you got home. 

Your little blue Jayco van was more of a rust bucket than an actual vehicle, with more spare parts in it than Frankenstein's monster.  
But, you thought to yourself as you chucked your bag into the passenger seat and clambered into the drivers spot, at least this beast-on-wheels ran. 

A flash of lightning lit up the sky so brilliantly that it was as if the sun itself had shown for the briefest of moments around you, and then the loudest crack of thunder shook the very ground beneath your feet.

You squealed involuntarily, the ferocity of the oncoming storm startling you more than you would have liked to admit. Thankfully no one was around to see hear you, and with a shakey breath you pushed your glasses back up onto the bridge of your nose and quickly started your van.

The rain didn't start until you were halfway home, and it was torrential in its fall. No gentle pitter patter to herald it's coming, it was as if the sky had just opened up and let it drop.

"Damn." You muttered under your breath, quickly switching on your window defogger as the windshield began clouding over.  
"This is getting intense."

You only lived 15 minutes from the shop, and yet even with your windshield wipers going full tilt, the rain was just too much and you were forced to pull over on to the shoulder of the old road you were on in hopes that it would chill out enough for you to continue; Your body ached from standing all day, your brain felt like mush, and all you wanted was a hot shower and to get out of this infernal weather damnit! 

You let loose a heavy sigh as you leaned back in your seat, unfastening the safety belt in order to get comfy. Judging by the sound of the rain pounding on the van roof like a million tiny jackhammers, this wasn't going to let up any time soon so you turned on the radio to kill some time.

A soft jazz tune was already in full sway, and you were pleasantly surprised that the Smooth Jazz station was coming in so well given the heinous weather. A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a roar of thunder and you found yourself too tired to even flinch.

Your eyelids began feeling heavier, and heavier with each passing minute.   
What could it hurt to just close them for a little while? You thought, snuggling further into your hoody and leaning your head against the window.

The sounds of the world around you slowly began to fade and you felt yourself being carried away by the melodious strains of a cello being plucked along with the swoony call of a saxophone. You were almost asleep when the sudden, blasting ring of your cell phone startled you awake.

"HOLYFUCKWHATTHESHIT?!?" Your Yelp came out of you sounding more like the wheeze of a strangled dog toy than that of an actual person.

Your heart thumped in your chest like a terrified rabbit, your breath coming in panicked gasps as you frantically tried to reach your phone in the front pocket of your bag. The minute you grabbed it, hastily pulling it from the front pocket you felt it slip through your grasp, and somehow, like a mad juggler managed to fumble it mid air before catching it in your clammy hands.  
You deftly swiped at the green phone icon and trembling ever so slightly, put your cell to your ear.

"H-hello?" There was no hiding the nervous stammer in your voice, and you inwardly cringed at how you sounded.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Maxines voice gave a relieved sigh on the other end, and you felt yourself calm down a tad at hearing her familiar voice.

"My dear girl, I am so sorry to bother you, but it's kind of an emergency." Maxine's frantic tone immediately grounded you, and you felt your soul steady itself, ready for whatever was gonna be said.

"Is everything ok, Aunty Maxine?" You asked, casting your discomfort aside. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find The Dude anywhere! I think I might have left him in the shop! I feel terrible! My poor baby, I can't believe I flaked out on my darling boy!" She practically wailed. "And in this storm!"

"Please, (Y/N)! You live the closest to the shop! Will you get him for me? Keep him overnight?" She begged, and you could hear the tears in her voice.

You almost laughed out loud, but managed to squelch your snickering by biting your bottom lip; this wasn't the first time this had happened. The Dude was an expert at keeping off people's radars, and it sometimes worked to his detriment to be so stealthy that Maxine would accidentally walk off without him; it wasn't as if he was without amenities, though. Cat had more food and water bowls around the place than the shop had customers, and his litterbox was located in Maxine's easily accessible office.

Over head thunder rumbled as lightning crackled through the sky ziggity-zag and you knew you were going to have to pussy-foot your way back, but nevertheless, you would rescue his furry butt.

"Don't worry Aunty Maxine, I'll bring The Dude home with me." You said, keeping your voice calm. Maxine's relief was audible, a deep sigh that would have her shoulders relaxing, and you could practically see it in your minds eye.

"Oh, bless you girl!" She exclaimed. "I'll give you gas money when you come in tomorrow. Thank you again, my dear! Please call me once you're both home safe!"  
And like that, she hung up. You groaned loudly as your forehead met the top-most part of your steering wheel in a gesture of amused frustration.   
"Welp," you groaned aloud to yourself. "Looks like I'm off to fetch The Dude."

It took you a grand total of 18 minutes to turn your van around and head back to the Buggy Shop; with the downpour and all you had to take an alternate road as the dirt one you typically used as a shortcut was most likely washed out, and your van was only front wheel drive....  
The moment the tan, metal building came into the view of your headlights the relief you felt was extraordinary; you'd made it, shook nerves and all!  
You zipped yourself up and pulled the hood on your sweater over your head as tight as you dared, hoping to the stars and back you wouldn't get completely soaked in that cold rain though you doubted you would be so lucky. You clutched the shop keys tightly in your fist.

A couple deep breaths to bolster your resolve aaaaannnd.....

The minute you opened your van door you were shocked instantly by the rains chill, and you let loose an exasperated, "FAAAAAAAAAAACK!" to the blackened skies above.  
Your face contorted into a mask of disgruntlement, your frown so low it could have fallen off your mug as you rudely slammed the door to the van shut and trudged up to the shop. Even with the light from your vehicle illuminating the key hole, you wound up struggling to unlock the doors.

You slid the key into the lock, jiggling it while you twisted the bolt with all your might. 

Damn this rain! You thought.  
The door needed a new lock as the old one got fussier and fussier with every time the slightest bit of moisture got into it, and even with the summer awning outstretched to protect from the downpour the lock was still a bitch.   
With an audible CHUNK after almost bruising your fingers, the bolt finally slid out of place, and you opened the door stepping into the darkness of the shop and out of the storm.  
Even with the strength of the vans lights shining through the glass and the occasional burst of lightning, the entryway barely lit up and a nervous shudder crept up your spine at how strange the Buggy Shop felt at night like this.  
Other than the sound of the downpour hitting the roof, the place was relatively quiet, almost eerily so from where you stood on the black matt, shaking off the rain drops still clinging to you and sending them splattering to the ground. You were about to flip on the main lights after patting yourself down when you heard a crash come from the back of the building where the concessions were sold.

You felt your heart stop for the briefest of moments before stuttering into a panicked thud in your breast. Your hackles immediately up; you knew that sound couldn't have possibly been The Dude as you had put all cooking utensils and pans away before you had left for the night, and you felt your blood run cold at the thought of someone trying to burgle the place.   
Hands trembling you reached into your pocket to grab your phone, glancing at the screen to see in almost glaringly cruel letters: NO SERVICE blink back at you in the inky darkness. What the hell?!? You looked over at the phone cradle on the front desk to see that it was empty, meaning Maxine must have pulled another "Accidentally forgot the cat but took the phone home" routine again. Guess you weren't going to call for help.

Your eyes darted around you, desperately looking for a weapon, anything that could be used in your defense as another clattering of metal echoed out from the concessions kitchen; you found a broom. Your left eye began to twitch in time with your pounding heart.

Who did I piss off to get such shit-tastic luck? Your mind shrieked. Really?!? A fucking broom?!? Might as well just paint a target on my face and yell "HIT ME" as loudly as possible while I'm at it!

A tentative step towards the only feasible weapon in sight proved difficult. Your flip-flops were, to your hypersensitive ears, far too loud the minute you stepped off the rug with a wet squeak, and you realized that either this was going to be a snail's race to the broom, or you were going to have to abandon your footwear...

As carefully and as quietly as humanly possible you slipped one foot out of its thong, holding your breath as you did, before stepping your bare foot onto the bone chillingly cold tile floor; barely a sound was heard from that tentative step and you softly exhaled. Easily shedding your other flip-flop you padded silently over to the broom leaning against the corner by the service desk.

I must have forgotten to put that away...you chastised yourself as you wrapped your hand around the broom handle and gingerly picked it up, brandishing the sweeping end like it was a pitchfork, though you had to laugh at the sheer futility of it all; what kind of damage could you really do with a broom? Sweep your attacker off their feet? If you hadn't been terrified to your core, you would have laughed at that. That was one you'd have to share with Sans and Papyrus later when you weren't about to go toe-to-toe with a burglar.

With your makeshift weapon firmly in hand, you began to creep towards the kitchen, hoping to find The Dude and possibly scare off the intruder. Some part of your mind, the sane part, screamed at you to just get the fuck out and call for help, that there were people better suited at apprehending the culprit skulking about the Shop. But for some unknown reason your gut intuition, your very soul, demanded you head towards the sounds coming from the kitchen area and you were helpless to fight against it.

Creeping as quiet as a mouse passed the office you shared with Maxine, a flash of lightning illuminated the space within casting eerie shadows in what was an otherwise innocuous space. You inwardly shuddered at the feeling of unease it gave you, but you continued on in hopes of finding that ridiculous cat before any harm befell his adorable, marmalade-and-cream head.  
As you made your way down the hall, the door to the kitchen came into view. A bright light spilled from under the doors edge splashing it's illuminations willy nilly, and you instinctively hugged yourself closer to the shadows on the wall.  
From the other side in the kitchen your pricked ears could hear the unmistakable sounds of muffled feet shuffling about, and the clatter of plates, and as you took in your next breath you could have sworn you smelled something like burning pasta sauce; was the store being robbed, or was someone plundering the kitchen? Whatever the case, you were going to find out!

Suddenly you heard the plaintive, deep meow of The Dude come from beyond the door and you felt yourself filled with determination. You WOULD rescue his furry ass, and beat whoever had broken in to the shop to within an inch of their life....with your broom.

Your palms were beginning to sweat, so you gripped the broom as tight as you could. You took several deep breaths, squaring your shoulders and bolstering your courage.

The pounding in your chest was deafening as your heart beat out a terrified tattoo, your nerves becoming exceptionally amped as you prepared yourself for what you were about to do next.  
You pushed your feet into the floor, finding that the pads of them were now somewhat dry, giving you an almost sticky grip-like feel to your soles; this might just work in your favor, you thought. Satisfied with your footing, you took another deep, shakey breath, leaning forward like a linebacker and aiming yourself for the swinging door, your trusty broom clutched tight. 

Alright, you told yourself. On the next big rumble of thunder, I'm gonna bust through the door crazy style. Focus on nabbing the cat, and booking it the hell outta there. Yup. I can do this...I can do this...

Every muscle in your body coiled in readiness for the sprint of your life, screaming in agony to be released from their tense hold as your adrenaline began to increase. A brilliant spark of lightning flashed over your shoulder, your ears straining to hear the thunder you knew should be following...but what you got instead was totally not what you had been expecting.

The Dude meowed louder this time, his voice a cry of one who was hungry and demanded that he be fed right now.

"OH, DON'T YOU WORRY MY FURRY FRIEND. I'LL FEED YOU IN JUST A MOMENT, JUST GOTTA WAIT UNTIL THE SAUCE IS DONE."

The sound of so familiar a voice completely deflated your determination to fight, leaching the adrenaline from your body so fast that it left you feeling weak and tired, yet somehow relieved. Instinctively you lowered your improvised weapon, stepping forward and the urge to call out Papyrus name welled up from within. 

At the very moment you were about to make yourself known, a low, deep voice right next to your ear, warm breath brushing your neck, growled out,

"whaddya think you're doin' here, pal?" Followed immediately after by the loudest clap of thunder you had ever heard in your life.  
Papyrus name curdled in your throat, dying before it could pass your lips and was simultaneously reborn as a bone chilling shriek that tore itself from your clenched larynx. 

"UWAAAGH!!!"   
It was as if Hell itself had set your ass on fire as you bolted from your spot so fast, in the back of your mind you were certain you'd just set some kind of world record for fastest sprint; Adrenaline seemed to free flow into your veins fueling your speed in a burst. 

You don't remember hitting the kitchen door, nor do you remember sliding into the concessions area like a scrambling ball player into 1st base at breakneck speed, tripping over a chair and barreling into a table wanging your head on the way down; the hit to your head literally made you see stars! You don't remember being scooped up off the floor into the long, strong boney arms of a tall, handsome skeleton monster. 

The world went gray for a couple of seconds, blurry skeleton faces swam in your tunneling vision, before it all went dark.

The concept of time didn't even register to you while you swam in a void of noiseless black. But when you started to see two very faint slits of light, really bright, painfully annoying light....  
...........

You felt more than heard the quiet groan you let out as you came to. 

".... (Y/N) IS VERY NICE, AND I BELIEVE WE CAN TRUST HER!" Came a familiar voice somewhere above you, followed by the gentle press of something cold, and kind of wet to your head.

"just don't get your hopes up, bro. she might not be so forgivin' seein' how she found us out." Came another voice, as equally familiar as the last one.

The pounding in your head elicited another groan, only this time it was loud enough for the voices surrounding you to take notice. You felt yourself jostled around a little, like you were being gently shifted into a better position, and you couldn't help but notice the feel of something long and bar like, and very warm bracing your neck and back.

"OH! LOOK SANS! I THINK SHE'S COMING AROUND!"  
..........

It wasn't the rumble of thunder, nor the heavy patter of rain against a window sill that woke you, but the smell of fresh coffee and bacon that wafted up and tickled your nose from your slumber.

You stretched out, finding your bed to be deliciously comfortable, and your pillow, while delightfully cradling your sore noggin, was a little wet on one side...  
Voices from the kitchen drifted down the hall towards your room, and your sleepy mind wondered how your guests were doing...

You suddenly snapped wide awake sitting bolt upright in your bed. You were not alone in your home! How the hell did you even get home?  
At first your soul began to panic, but as your mind quickly shook the haze from its creases you began to recall just HOW you had come to be home, with guests in tow.

Last night after coming around from getting the day lights knocked out of you, you had discovered that Sans and Papyrus were hiding in the shop to get out of the storm as they had been living in a tent in the woods (hence the need for a PO box).   
Occasionally they would sneak into the kitchen to use its facilities so they could have semi decent, hot food while they stayed in the area; while Sans had tried his best to spin it otherwise, he and Papyrus were actually homeless, and that didn't sit with you at all. 

It wasn't as if it was a snap decision on your part, telling them they were coming home with you. The moment it had come out about their situation you had no doubt where they were supposed to be; you lived in a 3 bedroom cottage alone, so....in your mind the universe had spoken and you were just the sort to roll with it...didn't matter if they were both men...and that you couldn't help find one of them attractive...Still, the more you insisted they stay with you, the weaker Sans objections became, and WHY he objected to living with you even for a short while was, in your mind, silly and superfluous and you told him as such; between your sound logic, and Papyrus pleas, he caved easily enough.

You also hadn't been able to drive yourself home, what with getting hit on the head, with what you surmised was a mild concussion (you vaguely remember Papyrus using some kind of healing magic on you, though you could have dreamed that), so it made sense that one of the brothers would need to take you.

You threw your legs over your bed, quickly snatching up the comb on your nightstand and swiftly undoing the tangles from your sleep, before hastily throwing on clean clothes.   
A quick look in the mirror revealed just the faintest of bruises on your head just shy of your temple; huh. You were pretty sure you'd had a goose egg last night, but shrugged it off and chalked it up to a faulty memory due to lack of sleep. You had gone through a long, crazy night after all. 

The second you opened your bedroom door, you were assailed with the delicious aroma of breakfast foods, and the sound of three voices echoed up the stairs to your ears. At first you were confused as you made your way downstairs; who else was there? 

"Well, like I said: you boys dig in. I brought plenty for all of us to eat, and heaven knows you two could use a healthy breakfast after what you've been eating this last month. Nobody can survive on hotdogs and spaghetti alone."

As you stepped into the little kitchen you were greeted by an unusual sight sitting in your breakfast nook: Sans and Papyrus sat in the little booth, each with a plate stacked far too high with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and what you could only surmise was a mixed fruit cup on the side, your Aunt Maxine happily chatting away as she cooked over the little green stove in your kitchen.

Apparently no one noticed you enter except The Dude, who looked up from his dish of scrambled eggs (cat was spoiled) and gave a long, happy meow at seeing you in the doorway, abandoning his food to come rub against your ankles with his plush fur.

"Morning sweety." You half yawned as you reached down to pat his head, startling the two skeletons and Maxine.

"There's my girl!" Maxine exclaimed cheerfully, as she motioned for you to take a seat at the breakfast table with Sans and Papyrus, The Dude abandoning you to return to his meal.  
"You're just in time for breakfast! I brought over all the fixings for my heroine, and her new cohorts."

"GOOD MORNING, (Y/N)!" Papyrus chimed in, followed by his brothers relaxed,

" mornin' kid."  
"Morning Aunty. Morning fellas. You both sleep ok?" You asked, taking up the end spot in the booth closest to Papyrus, who had been patting the spot next to him eagerly, and practically beamed when you had chosen it as your perch.

"like a rock. best sleep i've had in a while." Sans said before unleashing a tidal wave of ketchup onto the stack of scrambled eggs he had on his plate.

"I, TOO, SLEPT WELL. IT WAS VERY KIND OF YOU TO PUT US UP LIKE THIS, (Y/N). STARS ABOVE IT FELT WONDERFUL NOT TO HAVE TO SLEEP IN A SOGGY TENT, SO YOU HAVE THE THANKS OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS." Papyrus paused, suddenly looking dour, his brow bones knit in thought.  
"ARE YOU SURE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE A BURDEN TO YOU?" He asked bluntly, albeit tentatively. "AFTER ALL, THIS IS ALL KIND OF SUDDEN, AND NIETHER MYSELF, NOR MY LAZY BONES BROTHER WISH TO DISTURB YOUR PEACE HERE."  
Aunt Maxine paused in her cooking, looking over her shoulder with raised brows, and Sans stopped mid-bite of his ketchup-drowned eggs, slightly shocked at hearing his brothers words. You took a deep breath...

"First off: never, ever consider yourselves a burden, especially not here; As far as I am concerned, it's been far too lonely here by myself, and having you guys here would be a huge help and great company. Secondly: as long as Aunt Maxine takes no issue with adding you to the lease, there should be no worries. There's plenty of space for you here, you'd each have your own room, and regardless of how things go, I wouldn't feel right letting you be without a home. I...I know how that feels." You said emphatically, followed by a quick,

"No problems on my end. I'm all for it! Can't have our folk without a place to call home. Your Uncle Dan and I would never allow it." from Maxine.  
You settled your palms on the table with an enthusiastic smack.

"Then it's settled. You fellas and I are going to be roomies from now on, that is unless you see a reason not to be? I mean, it doesn't have to be permanent if you guys want to find a place of your own...?" You trailed off.

"well kid..."

"ROOMMATES! OH, I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO BE ROOMIES! CAN I KEEP THE ROOM I'M IN? CAN I CHANGE THE CURTAINS? WHAT ABOUT THE BED? CAN I SWAP THAT OUT? I GET TO LIVE WITH MY FRIEND AND MY BROTHER IN SUCH A LOVELY HOME! OH THIS IS SO EXCITING! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus cut Sans off before he could really say anything, his excited chatter filling the nook with enthusiastic delight. Sans just cracked a wry grin, shrugged, and continued eating his breakfast as if he weren't going to say anything just a few seconds before.

You gave him a funny, questioning tilt of your head, to which the older skeleton just waved your concerns away with a chuckle and a wink as his younger brother gushed about having his own bedroom for the first time in ages.

As Aunty Maxine set an overstacked plate in front of you while assuring Papyrus for the umpteenth time that he could decorate his room however he wanted, you couldn't help the warm feeling that crept up on you from somewhere deep in your soul. It was hope. For the first time in forever you felt real, true hope, and as you stared at the two skeletons and your Aunt who sat down next to Sans with her own plate, some how you just knew that this was meant to be; you weren't alone anymore, and maybe the universe was finally smiling down on you. Maybe Uncle Dan was watching over you...

You gave a contented grin just before digging into your pancakes, the first bite of golden fluffiness filling you with determination.  
Yup. Everything was gonna be alright. 

After eating as much breakfast as you could manage, you took Sans and Papyrus on a tour of the house, showing them where everything was located in their new home. Your soul stuttered a little, remembering your Aunt giving you the same tour years ago, coming from almost the exact situation the guys had, and your heart wept knowing the shame you had felt then; you would make sure Sans and Papyrus wouldn't feel that here, the same way Maxine had done for you.

"The basement is finished with a pullout couch, and the washer and dryer are down there as well. There is only one room that is off limits there, and it's my workspace. "

Sans looked thoughtful, a bemused grin on his face.  
"workspace huh? wouldn't happen to be doing experiments down there, eh? so far this place has good chemistry, but will we have to periodically check on ya? make sure you've not made a pot-ASS-ium of yourself? " He mused teasingly, waggling his brow bones at you. Papyrus groaned, annoyed at his brothers puns, but you chuckled openly.

"Yeah, totally. I'm a mad scientist 6 coffees shy of a breakthrough in the space/time continuum. " You laughed. "Gonna barium in the science fair with interdimensional portals."  
You had only been teasing Sans, as the room was literally just your crafting space and idea room (which you had quickly told them about), but some how you felt as if you might have touched on something that made the skeleton uneasy as he flinched a little, trying to hide his reaction behind a lazy smirk and half laugh at your weak pun.

Your arched eyebrow only got you an even bigger smirk, so maybe you were just being overly sensitive, after all this situation was new to you all and each person handled things differently; Papyrus only seemed to care about whether or not he could cook in the kitchen, decorate his room, and where could he do his and Sans laundry.

However, when you showed them the secrets you had stashed away in the livingroom...

Both Sans and Papyrus looked on with wide-eyed delight as you opened the cabinet doors beneath the TV in the cozy living space, revealing the modest hoard of gaming consoles you owned along with what few movies and shows you had in box sets.

"oh my god. i think i'm in heaven!" Sans practically moaned, his eye lights glowed far brighter than you'd ever seen. Papyrus just stood there, slack-jawed.  
"IS...IS THAT A NINTENDO SWITCH?" He asked, all breathy, his cheek bones blushing.

"You bet. Took me a while to save up for it, but I managed to get my hands on one." You grinned, charmed by his earnest reaction.

Papyrus shot you what you could only describe as the cutest, puppy dog pout, and for whatever reason it made your heart thump a little harder.

"WOULD YOU BE OK IF I PLAYED WITH IT? NOT ALL THE TIME, MIND YOU. I PROMISE I WON'T HOG IT! BUT, PLEASE?" He pleaded, and it was then you felt Sans eyes heavily upon you, as if he were waiting to pass judgment on you and your answer. You laughed inwardly; if he thought you weren't going to share, he had another thing coming.  
"I take it you're a fan of Nintendo?" You asked, genuinely curious. Papyrus clapped his hands together, glee in his voice.

"AM I! BACK IN THE UNDERGROUND SANS REBUILT AN OLD GAME CUBE WE HAD FOUND WHEN WE WERE MUCH YOUNGER. WE ONLY HAD MARIO KART, SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE, AND WIND WAKER, BUT WE LOVED IT!"

"Oh man! I still have Mario Kart, and my old gamecube, and like, six controllers from back in the day! I am so challenging you to a race once you guys get settled in! Nobody gonna stop my koopa troopas!" You couldn't stop yourself from geeking out.

"OH, TUT TUT, MY DEAR (Y/N). I DARESAY THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS UNSTOPPABLE WHEN HE TEARS INTO THE TRACK WITH HIS TRUSTY YOSHI AND BIRDO!" He practically cackled with delight, posing like a hero ready for battle.

"NEW ROOMMATE OR NOT, I SHALL TRIUMPH OVER YOUR TEAM BY LEAPS, AND LAPS! NYEH HEH HEH!"

"Oh, it is SO on, bruh!" You chuckled, placing your hands on your hips, and delicately arching a brow. "You think you can beat me? Not only will I spank you on the gamecube, but I'll take you out on the Switch as well. I'll drive you crazy with my winning." You said in your best villains voice, adding emphasis on your pun.

"And after you've been thoroughly whipped, you gotta try out the new Zelda game for the Switch."   
Papyrus brow bones suddenly shot up.  
"YOU MEAN WIND WAKER ISN'T THE ONLY ZELDA GAME ANYMORE?" He exclaimed, looking dumbfounded.  
You couldn't keep your giggles contained.  
"Oh, man Papyrus. There are so many more Zelda games I have to show you."  
Papyrus suddenly scooped you up in the biggest hug you had ever received.  
"OH, THANK YOU (Y/N)! I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE OUR FRIEND! BEING ROOMMATES IS GOING TO BE WONDERFUL!"  
You hugged the skeleton back, genuinely touched.  
"You're welcome, Papyrus." You whispered softly. "You're welcome."


	3. Dune All The Right Moves

"SANS! WAKE UP LAZY BONES! YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE US LATE IF YOU DON'T GET UP THIS MINUTE! " Papyrus bellowed, pounding on his brothers bedroom door imperiously, as you stood behind him cringing. The door was buckling with each smack and you were worried it might rattle off it's hinges with his over zealousness.

"Uh, Papyrus, it's our day off. We can take our time, I mean, it's not like there's going to be a mad-dash to the dunes today; it's Monday, after all." You said, grimacing a little at the tall skeletons continued pounding.

Papyrus skull whipped towards your direction, his face a mask of annoyance.

"THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT (Y/N). YOU AND I ARE UP AND READY, AND SO SHOULD SANS. HE'S FAR TOO LAZY, AND LETTING HIM GET AWAY WITH HIS SLOTHFUL BEHAVIOR, NOT TO MENTION KEEPING US FROM A FULL DAYS WORTH OF ACTIVITIES, IS UNACCEPTABLE. IT'S BAD MANNERS."

The air was filled with tense silence for the briefest of moments before you cracked. A grin broke out on your face like sunshine on the ocean; Papyrus was so excited to go out on his first ever dune buggy ride he was practically vibrating, and you feared making him wait any longer would only add fuel to his exuberant fire.

"You know what Papyrus, why don't just you and I go out to the dunes today?"

Papyrus facial expression changed so rapidly it was dizzying to witness. His brow bones pinched together, his unusual pearly whites somehow bowing just enough to appear as if they were forming a frown before doing a complete U-turn.

"YOU MEAN, JUST THE TWO OF US?" He asked, his sockets blinking in flustered surprise after finally digesting your words.

"Well, yeah. I mean, if Sans wants to sleep in on his day off, let him. He worked really hard at the shop yesterday and he deserves a break now and then, ya? If anything, I can always take him out on a buggy ride whenever he feels like it next time we have a day off." You said with a shrug.  
At first you thought Papyrus wasn't going to go along with your idea. He was a very considerate man who always made sure that his brother was along for a goodly portion of activities, as well as making sure to keep Sans in line when he thought he was being too lazy; you'd learned that after living with them for the last 4 weeks.  
However, he surprised you when his expression brightened into a cunning grin before exclaiming,

"AS LONG AS WE CAN LEAVE A NOTE FOR SANS, I'M GAME. ALSO, I MUST MAKE SURE TO MAKE HIM A SANDWICH, OTHERWISE WHEN HE GETS UP HE WON'T EAT PROPERLY."

You apparently looked perplexed enough by that statement that Papyrus laughed, his broad, boney shoulders shaking gently with his mirth.

"NYEH HEH HEH! SANS WILL MOST LIKELY WAKE UP, AND EAT EITHER A HOTDOG WITH KETCHUP, OR JUST STRAIGHT KETCHUP! I HAVE TO MAKE SURE MY BROTHER EATS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT HEALTHY, OR HE'LL TURN INTO A TOTAL SLUG!"

"Sans eats ketchup straight? By itself? Whaaaaat....?"  
You scrunched up your nose, trying to clear yourself of the picture you had of Sans downing a bottle of ketchup like one would slam a soda pop.

"Eew!" You grimaced, making Papyrus laugh even harder.

"PRECISELY! GROSS! BUT, NEVER FEAR! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL MAKE SURE SUCH A THING WON'T HAPPEN."

Light bulb!

"Heya Papyrus, if you're going to make Sans a sandwich, why don't we pack a couple up to go? We can have lunch out on the dunes while I show you around."  
It was such a lighthearted suggestion really, a meal on the dunes with two friends out on a buggy jaunt, and yet the look on that man's skull was one of sheer delight.

"YOU MEAN, GO OUT ON A PICNIC? A REAL PICNIC, LIKE WITH THE CHECKERED CLOTH AND BASKET?" He practically squealed, his hands clapped onto his blushing cheekbones, framing his face in a 'V'.

"I mean, I don't have a checkered cloth, but I have a picnic blanket, and I have a cooler...sooo...about as close to that as you could get." 

"OH, THIS IS FANTASTIC! IT'S BEEN A DREAM OF MINE TO GO ON A PICNIC JUST LIKE IN MY PICTURER BOO...ER...UH... YES! A PICNIC FROM THE BOOKS I READ. DEFINITELY READ. TOO OLD FOR PICTURE BOOKS. YUP." He stammered, blushing furiously and nervously running his digits over the back of his skull.

You chuckled warmly, motioning for him to follow you.

"C'mon Papyrus. Let's go get our picnic stuff set up."

The tall fellow quickly shook off his embarrassment, his emotions changing so fast again it made your head swim as he smiled broadly down at you.

"WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN (Y/N)! I CAN'T WAIT! BEING OUT THERE WITH YOU IS GOING TO BE WONDERFUL! " He hummed happily as he followed merrily behind you into the kitchen. You had no doubt that the two of you would have a blast, but you couldn't help but blush a little at his choice in words...  
~~~~  
NYOOOOOOM!

"YAHOOOOO!" Papyrus whooped as you sped along the ridge of a dune before diving down it's face at breakneck speed, sand spraying up behind you like rooster tails in the wind. The yellow Kawasaki Teryx you drove handled the sands like it was nothing as you angled it towards another dune, ready to charge up its face for another rollercoaster drop of dizzying proportions.  
The wind gusted gently from where you both sat, causing your hoody to blow back leaving your hair exposed to the sands. You wondered if Papyrus, who wore his purple shades, a neon green stripped tank top and neon blue shorts was going to be affected by the sand in any way; did he have to worry about getting grit in his joints? That was probably too personal a question to ask, so you dropped the thought; there was always Google...

Before you put your pedal to the metal however, you looked over at the skeleton monster seated next to you, seeing his face lit with the brightest grin you had ever seen on a person. Papyrus was truly having the time of his life, and the best part was that you were having more fun than you had ever had with him being there...not that you were willing to admit that. You couldn't help stare at him for a moment, admiring his chiseled jaw, the sloping angles of his cheek bones, and the handsome profile he cut against the backdrop of the blue sky....

You mentally shook your head, trying to stop your mind from thinking such thoughts as your soul knew all too well that the gutter wasn't too far off that track; he was a coworker and your roommate for crying out loud, and since when did you find skeletons attractive?!? Get it together!   
And that's when you realized the next dune up was Honeymoon Hill...time for a change in plans!

"Hey Papyrus!" You shouted over the engine. Your companion turned to face you, the barest hint of a blush to his cheek bones. Had he seen you starring at him? God, you hoped not!

"SOMETHING WRONG, (Y/N)?" He asked, tilting his head curiously towards you, genuine concern on his skull.

"Nothing's wrong, mate. Was wondering if you were up to stopping for a bit and have lunch?"

You might as well have been telling him he had just won the lottery with the way he beamed.

"OH, BUT OF COURSE!" He said with unbridled glee. "ALL THIS RIDING ABOUT CERTAINLY HAS WHIPPED UP QUITE AN APPETITE, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE MY FIRST EVER PICNIC!"

He looked around the area for the briefest of moments, before turning to you asking,

"WHERE SHALL WE SET UP FOR LUNCH?" You grinned cheekily up at him. You were finally going to show him another one of your passions and it was the perfect spot.

"I'm going to take you to my secret spot, reserved for special occasions, and close friends only, so you have to promise to keep it under wraps." You said in mock seriousness, wagging a finger at him.

Papyrus placed a balled fist to his chest, like a knight swearing an oath of fealty.

"FEAR NOT, LADY (Y/N). THE GREAT PAPYRUS PROMISES NEVER TO BREATHE A WORD ABOUT THIS SPECIAL PLACE." He then leaned in, dangerously close to you making your heart race at his nearness and gently tugged down his shades enough to peer over them at you.  
"IT'LL BE OUR SECRET." He said in a conspiratorial whisper mere inches from your face, and then winked at you.

Heavens above you felt your cheeks flush warm, and you let slip a barely suppressed, nervous giggle! Without saying another word, you drove the vehicle off towards your favorite spot in the whole dunes, hoping to the stars and back that the wind would cool you off.

The dune you had parked on was the highest on the park map, but was quite the overlooked spot. It was covered with dune grass from the base all the way up stopping just shy of its crown, so almost every tourist with a vehicle avoided the area as they didn't want to get stuck in the tall foliage. However, you knew of a safe, clear path that lead all the way up to the dunes invisible bald spot, and it was there you began setting up Papyrus's first ever picnic with, in your humble opinion, the greatest view in all the dunes.

You stood staring off across the dunes at the gently rolling sea, taking an occasional deep, long breath of the salty-sweet air that swept over you in soft, silken caresses before letting it go with a delighted sigh. You reveled in the quiet, beautiful view of the world before you; you loved coming up here just to watch nature, and feel it's gentle energy fill you with peace.  
Papyrus was busy getting his picnic spot set up for you both since you had momentarily paused to look out over the dunes. You hadn't realized you had been doing that, sighing like a contented fool, until you became acutely aware of a pair of sockets staring intently at you from over by the teryx.

"Oh, uh, sorry Papyrus. Didn't mean to space out on you like that." You chuckled nervously, fiddling with your glasses as you made your way over to help him.

"YOU'RE PERFECTLY FINE, (Y/N). I HOPE I'M NOT BEING TOO FORWARD WHEN I SAY I WAS ADMIRING THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE JUST NOW." He said succinctly, still staring. That took you by surprise. You hadn't expected him to admit that he'd been ogling you.

"Er...why?" You asked, reaching for a bottle of Gatorade.

"I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE LOOK SO SERENE BEFORE. THIS PLACE MUST BE TRULY SPECIAL TO BRING OUT SO LOVELY A SMILE AS YOURS." Now THAT threw you for a loop. Was Papyrus flirting with you?   
No, no. You had to be imagining things. But when you saw him shyly turn away his head, as if to look at something in the cooler, you saw his cheekbones blushing furiously.

The flipping sensation in your stomach felt like the teasing flutter of butterfly wings, and you had to mentally shake yourself out of your train of thought; there was no way your (secretcrush) coworker/roommate was flirting with you. You two had only known each other for like, what? Almost 2 months? There was noooo way he was sweet on chubby, short, boring old you. Right?

Papyrus suddenly cleared his throat (not quite sure how he even did that).

"(Y/N), I HAVEN'T OFFENDED YOU, HAVE I?" His voice wavered, and for the first time since you'd meet this charming, charismatic skeleton, he sounded unsure, almost upset.

"Oh, no, no! Papyrus, you haven't offended me! Not in the slightest!" You rushed to reassure him. He visibly relaxed hearing your words, his broad shoulder bones sagging gently with relief.  
"I'm so sorry for zoning out on you again, it's just...I'm not used to people genuinely complementing me."

He gasped, throwing a hand up on his sternum like he was clutching at pearls.

"WHAT?" He barked. "BUT YOU'RE WORTHY OF SUCH PRAISE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS KNOWS TRUE LOVELINESS WHEN HE SEES IT, AND ANYONE NOT ABLE TO SEE THAT IS AN UTTER FOOL."

"I...I don't know what to say?" You stammered. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you Papyrus." And you meant every word.

He beamed at you, his cheekbones blazing pink.

"YOU'RE WELCOME. NOW," he said with a bold, affectionate squeeze of your shoulder that gave you more warm fuzzies than you were willing to admit.  
"LET'S GET THIS PICNIC UNDER WAY. I WISH TO HEAR ABOUT WHY THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE SPOT."

The thick throw blanket you'd had in your van had been there for as long as you'd had the vehicle, it's soft peach and pink colors so faded you could barely tell they were there anymore, but it served as a makeshift picnic blanket on the dunes better than anything you'd had before. Both you and Papyrus sat side by side, leaning against the side of the teryx as you pointed out the sights from your vantage having finished off your lunches with gusto.

"See? This is the best spot to nature watch. I come up here a lot just to take pictures of the surrounding wild life, or tourists doing stunts. My uncle Dan showed me this spot when I was a kid...used to take me up here a lot, and taught me how to take proper photos." You motioned a hand towards the view with a care free laugh, nostalgia warming your heart. Papyrus nodded along, a look of understanding in his gaze.

"You can see Silver Lake, the ocean, and everything in the park; Those three dunes over there are known as the Treacherous Trio: Honeymoon Hill, Challenge Mound, and Sunrise Drop. They actually sit smack dab in the middle of the dune park and cradle the lake, and are the largest, toughest dunes here. Lots of tourists try pulling off crazy tricks on them." You said, pointing towards the masses of sand.

"HEY, DIDN'T WE GO ON THOSE DUNES?" Papyrus asked, awe in his voice.

"We sure did, though I only took you as far as Sunrise Drop and Challenge Mound." You said absentmindedly, taking a long, deep yawn of air and stretching happily before taking a hit off your Gatorade.  
Papyrus frowned a little.

"WHY DIDN'T WE GO ON HONEYMOON HILL?" He asked innocently enough, looking down at you for an answer.  
You almost choked, but you managed not to spit-take yourself, coughing and sputtering a little before swallowing.

Would you be able to tell him the reason you didn't take him up to Honeymoon Hill was because it was a well known spot for couples to make out, or in some cases bone (lol), and you would have felt weird taking someone who wasn't romantically attached to you up to such a hot spot?   
But, when you looked back up at him, seeing his inquisitive, and very trusting eyesockets you realized you didn't have the soul to lie to him. Besides, with the way gossip got around town it would be only a matter of time before he found out what really went on up there...

"Ok, so, this is going to sound...(crazy? stupid? ridiculous?) silly, but Honeymoon Hill is only visited by....couples." You bit your bottom lip, wondering if he was going to get what you were hinting at.  
Papyrus brow bones pinched together for a moment, and you knew he was processing.

"YOU MEAN IT'S A SPOT FOR DATEMATES?" He asked, still mulling it over as he cast his gaze towards that very distant hill.

"Uh, yeah. Datemates." You said with a nodd, fairly certain you understood what a datemate was, though at this point it really could have been anything....Guh!  
Papyrus gaze seemed to linger before he suddenly whipped his head around and pegged you with a blushing grin.

"I WANT TO GO UP THERE WITH YOU...ON A DATE."  
You were really glad you hadn't been drinking anything at that point, your cheeks grew hot and red and you very nearly keeled over. Your heart started racing like mad in your chest, and you felt as if you were too warm all over. Ok, this was a huge jump from flirting, which your goofy ass had thought wasn't happening earlier, to outright ballsyness!

"I mean...that's the sort of spot you go to after, uh...um...many dates, Papyrus." Damn, that sounded lame! YOU sounded lame! OMG WHY WERE YOU SO WARM?!?

Understanding dawned on the skeletons face, but he seemed unperturbed.

"AH, IT'S A PLACE FOR LOVERS TO... CANOODLE. WELL, FEAR NOT (Y/N). THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL MAKE SURE TO TAKE YOU ON MANY DATES BEFORE WE GO THERE...THAT IS...IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO WITH ME?" Papyrus leaned in close to you, and it was there you saw something shining in the darkness of his head for the briefest of moments. Did he have stars in his sockets?

"Are...are you asking me out?" You were thoroughly rocked to your core; this was completely unexpected, and yet you couldn't help the giddy sensation that was quickly making your reasoning mind go haywire. Papyrus looked at you, a brow arched in confusion.  
"IF YOU MEAN 'AM I ASKING YOU TO BE MY DATEMATE', THEN YES. YES, I AM." Damn he's forward! 

"Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight: you really want to...to date me?" 

Papyrus threw his head back and gave a loud "NYEH-HEH-HEH!"  
"HAVE I NOT BEEN CLEAR IN MY INTENTIONS THESE LAST FEW WEEKS? THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS LIKED YOU SINCE THE BEGINNING. YOU SHOULD FEEL HONORED!"

You felt both flustered and stunned, to be honest; honored didn't exactly come to your poor, flummoxed brain. What you were going to say next, well, was most likely going to stun him right back...  
~~~~

Sans had only vaguely heard his brothers howling voice, and pounding fist upon his bedroom door; He was most definitely NOT a morning person, especially not on his days off when he could get away with sleeping in. So it stood to reason he would have only been momentarily, slightly conscious for like...2.5 seconds...not enough for anything to really register on his lazy bones radar.

When he finally rolled out of bed, his sleep-addled mind under the impression that only 15 minutes had gone by, was shocked wide awake to see the clock next to his bed flashing back at him in big, red numbers 12:43pm. He blinked his black, suddenly lightless orbs for a few seconds, a chill going up his spine as he knew he was in for it; he'd overslept by 3 hours and the three of you had plans this morning! 

"oh shit..." he grimaced, quickly rolling out of his bed with a thud, landing softly face first onto a pile of his own laundry. He hastily threw on his cleanest (yet still dirty) t-shirt and shorts within reach of his scrambling phalanges. The minute he was dressed he didn't even bother opening his door, instead choosing to "shortcut" his way right to the livingroom where he expected to see both you and Papyrus waiting for him; his brother most likely wearing some kind of scowl, but your reaction...he didn't know what to expect.

You were an unusual case for Sans; you stumped him, and if he were up to admitting anything, it was because he couldn't peg what exactly you were and that made him a tad leery.  
He'd been around plenty of humans, and without even having to pull them into an encounter, knew right away what their souls were (kind of helped he was a judge once upon a time, though he was never comfortable admitting that feeling outloud to himself). But you had him questioning everything he knew up to that point, and he didn't like not knowing. Not one bit!   
You were equal parts Kind and patient, but at the same time you were equally as determined and just in your day to day life as well, so he wasn't sure the kind of reaction he would get from you; if he were a betting skeleton, he wagered you'd be disappointed, and he hated that thought.  
::POOF!::  
The livingroom was completely devoid of life; No Papyrus, no you. Huh. Sans stayed still for the longest time and just...listened, his bare toe joints digging into the carpet nervously as he waited for something, anything to grace his ear holes.  
The only sounds that he could hear was the echo of bird calls by the livingroom window, and the distant fluttering of paper from the kitchen. Hunger suddenly clawed at him, and he figured he was going to be passing through there in search of his wayward housemates anyways, so why not grab a bite before continuing his search?

"hotdog 'an ketchup, or just ketchup?" He wondered aloud as he blinked right smack dab into the center of the kitchen. The sound of rustling paper came directly from the fridge across from the little green stove, and his eye lights lit upon a note with his name in all caps under a triceratops magnet being gently blown about from a breeze coming through an open window by the sink.

Sans could practically hear his brothers imperious voice shouting at him from the note.

"sans, (y/n) and i have gone to the dunes to enjoy the day. you could have gone with us would that you had been up on time, but (y/n) spoke in your defense and appealed to my forgiving nature, so we decided to let you sleep."  
He read aloud, chuckling as he continued on.

"i have left you a healthy sandwich in the fridge with some fresh fruit and veggies, please eat it all and stay away from the ketchup and hot dogs! love your brother, the great papyrus."

Down beneath his brothers note, in very clear, articulated scrawl was a note from you, and that had his attention even more.

"Hi Sans! Sorry about this morning, but I figured with how hard you worked your ass off (LOL) yesterday, you could use some 'Me time'. Papyrus and I will be back around 4pm to get dinner started; he wants to make spaghetti! See you later! (Y/n)."

So far, Sans realized he kind of owed you one, maybe even two; not only did you take Papyrus out for the ride of his life, you'd also got him to let Sans sleep in, which definitely earned you cool points in his book. Not sure how you managed to convince Paps, of all people, to let him get away with a lazy day. Maybe you were Brave for taking him on?  
That was something else that struck the older skeleton as peculiar in regards to his baby bro; any time he and Paps had interactions with humans, Papyrus almost never called them by their names, or their names alone. It was always HUMAN followed by the persons name, or just HUMAN. But with you, oh no; He NEVER called you by your species' name, instead opting to use your given name only, and this was highly unusual for his brother.

For as lazy as he was, Sans was incredibly perceptive, and having raised Papyrus from a babybones, he knew all too well what was going on here: Papyrus was sweet on you. Completely smitten to be more precise, and Sans didn't quite know how to feel about that either, especially since he couldn't figure out your soul, at least, not without breaking his own moral code; he also wasn't sure how he felt about your little crush on his brother...Yeah, you couldn't hide that from the ultimate bluffmaster. He saw how hard you tried to hide how blushy you got when Paps paid you compliments, and he sure as hell noticed those brief moments you stared at him when you thought no one was paying attention!

The sandwich that Papyrus had made him sat on a little white plate next to a pile of carrots, and some grapes, held together with a toothpick topped by an olive. Classic.   
Sans pulled the plate out, eyeing the sandwich to see what it's guts were, and rolled his eye lights when he saw a small slice of ham weighted down by more spinach and tomato slices than ought to be on such a thing.

"yer killin' me paps! olive this is way too much rabbit food. but, beggars can't be choosers, an' it's not like it ain't all grape." Sans snickered at his own puns before teleporting to the livingroom to watch a few movies with his meal in tow. It was his day off after all, and he was going to milk being lazy for all its worth.

He plopped down onto the plush sofa with the barest of wumphs, tucking himself into the tie dye throw blanket you had left on it the night before as he snagged the remote from the stand next to him.

He flicked the TV on as he took a bite of his breakfast-lunch, grimacing at the sharp tang he tasted. He stopped munching, lifting up the lid of the multigrain bread to see just what had assaulted his magic tastebuds...there was only a thin smear of mustard for a condiment; Paps was really trying to get him to be healthier, but damn this was pushing it just a little. Still, he really shouldn't/couldn't complain though, as it was food he didn't have to prepare, so he powered through it like a champ while he hit the ON button for the DVD player booting it up.

Suddenly a familiar song began to play, followed by letters shaped to look like cats dancing to the intro of the song on the TV screen.  
"Hey, let's go! Hey, let's go! I'm happy as can beeee~~"

"a ghibli film, huh? guess i'll be watchin' this with brunch then." He'd forgotten that you had introduced both him, and his brother to the world of Ghibli a couple weeks ago, and truth be told, he secretly loved it. Sans sat through the whole movie, oftentimes lobbing puns at the characters just to amuse himself, or (since nobody was home to witness it) hum along with the title tune absentmindedly.

When the movie ended he glanced up at the clock on the wall: 2:56pm it read and he sighed.  
He wasn't used to this, and truth be told it was starting to get a little lonely; he actually MISSED you both, oddly enough.  
In an attempt to squelch his melancholy boredom, Sans decided to hop on the Gamecube for a while and get in some practice on Double Dash and kill more time; he hated to admit it, but you and Papyrus were giving him quite the run for his money and if he was going to even try to keep his crown, he was going to have to practice, he told himself; you'd almost beaten him the night before last, and had he not used his blue shell, you would have kicked his ass. That was a sobering thought! He selected his favorite duo: Diddy Kong and Toad: An appealing selection with both speed and prank in his eyes.

A thought occurred to him as he turned on the console: It was both weird, and kind of comforting at the same time for Sans now that he and his brother were sharing the same roof with you. He was glad that they both had a home, even if it had come about in a way that Sans was kind of ashamed of; he was the big brother, yet for the better part of the year he and Paps had been...homeless.   
Even with the multitude of jobs he had undertaken in Ebbot City and its neighboring towns, for whatever reason he couldn't hold onto them for very long through no fault of his own; he might appear as a lazy bones, but when it came to providing for his family, he worked his proverbial ass off. Having a third person greatly lightened the responsibilities, and even gave him a little breathing room from his bro, which was something he hadn't had in forever; 'Me time' you'd called it...even if the concept was registering on his emotional radar as "This is kinda lonely" at the moment.

But still, even with his concerns about not knowing what the essence of your soul was, a part of him thanked the stars you'd appeared in his and Papyrus lives. You were definitely a good person, there was no doubt about that, but the sheer fact he didn't know what to expect from you; you were a puzzle he needed to figure out.

~~~  
"...WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'MEATBALLS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BOUNCE?' "

Sans was startled awake by the boisterous voice of his brother as the front door to the house opened up with a soft bang. The crinkle of grocery bags grated on his proverbial ears as he came to from his impromptu nap on the couch.

"...Seriously Papyrus, they aren't supposed to bounce. Once we get this stuff to the kitchen, I can show you how to make them in the more...traditional sense. Oh, hiya Sans! Have a good day?" You asked sweetly as you saw the sleepy, confused look on his skull.

Papyrus, who Sans noticed was standing unusually close to you and holding two brown paper bags, snorted distastefully.

"MOST LIKELY SPENT THE WHOLE DAY LOAFING ABOUT. SHAMEFUL! " He tsked.

Sans completely ignored Paps comment,  
casting his eye lights towards you, a lazy smirk creasing his face.

"my day was pretty relaxed, how about you? seems like you two are dune just fine. did you kids have fun? did you teryx up out there?"

That....was a loaded question....

You gave what you hoped wasn't a nervous sounding chuckle, but judging by the slowly arching brow bone on Sans face, you knew he knew something was up.

"NO! NOT PUNS!" Papyrus groaned aloud, looking frantically around, his head whipping about so fast you almost couldn't see his skull.  
He stopped suddenly, pegging Sans with a sharp glare.

"HONESTLY BROTHER! IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE FACT THAT I'M IN THE PRESENCE OF A LADY, AND MY ARMS ARE FULL, I'D HAVE WHOPPED YOU WITH A PILLOW." 

Heat began to creep up your neck, and you hoped to the heavens and back that you weren't blushing! Dang it Papyrus, you were supposed to play it cool!

Sans gave a lazy laugh. "awe, c'mon paps! sea, i just wanna know how your time was? I don't wanna to make you roar, but big brother sands here can't help himself."

The giggle-snort was unstoppable as it burbled up and over your clenched lips. Papyrus frown was incredibly comical.

"OH, NO! SANS! STOP MAKING MY DATEMATE SUFFER YOUR HORRENDOUS PUNS! I....I..." It was as if a ton of bricks had just been dumped on everyone's toes. Sans looked completely taken aback, while you felt all humor and color drain from your face and supreme embarrassment take over.

"OOPS!" He yelped, his mortified sockets glancing over at you as he clutched at the parcels in his arms, and it was clear he was genuinely freaked out about your potential response. At first you were at a loss for words, and your poor, panicked mind was grasping at dead air, but you weren't the one to break the pregnant silence that had suddenly cloaked the room.

"...datemate?" Sans whistled. "you finally drive up the courage there, paps?"

Papyrus expressions bounced between aggravation, mortification, and completely flustered; his cheeks blazed with pink, and you could almost hear the gears in his skull grinding to a halt. 

"Uuuuh...." was all you could manage as your own face matched that of the tall fellow standing next to you. You took a deep, calming breath; Papyrus, for the first time since you'd met him, was at a loss for words so it was up to you to say something.

"Papyrus asked me to go on a date with him, yes." You said, once your heart was chill enough to let you speak, and then you realized how silly this whole situation was. You were both adults, you weren't his boss, and while you did live together there was no reason you two couldn't go out together.

"And I told him I'd love to go on a date with him." You said with a confident nod of your head.

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS ASKED (Y/N) LIKE A GENTLEMAN, AND I BAGGED MYSELF A DATE! I TOLD YOU MY DATING MANUAL WOULD WORK!" Papyrus said suddenly, standing up his very straightest and looking noble even with his arms full of groceries.

Sans just stared at the two of you for the longest time, and you couldn't help feel as if you were being sized up, like you and your...datemate(?) were being judged like naughty teenagers.

"way to go paps!" Sans laughed, breaking the awkward tension.  
"you made a pun!"

Papyrus jaw dropped as realization hit him like a bomb: he had, in fact, made a pun, and not just any kind but a particularly bad one.  
He let loose an infuriated "UGH!" before storming off towards the kitchen leaving you alone with his brother.

"W-well..." you stammered a little. "Guess I better follow him. I'm teaching him how to make meatballs to go with our spaghetti tonight."

You went to walk towards the kitchen when you heard the softest, "hang on a sec..." from Sans. You felt the pit of your stomach drop out at his tone of voice.

You turned to face him, and were surprised at the very sober look on his mug.

"look, paps may be a grown-ass skeleton, but he's still my baby bro. i know i don't have ta say anythin' to you, but i wouldn't be doin' right by him if i didn't: don't break his heart."

Sans eye sockets were devoid of light, and you had the distinct impression that he was warning you, maybe even trying to intimidate you a little. You, however, weren't someone to, even nicely, push around.

"Look Sans, I get what you're saying, but here's the thing: I really like Papyrus, and I wouldn't have said yes to him if I didn't mean it...I'm not that kind of person." You were determined, pegging him with a stare of your own that brooked no argument.

"And so long as he seeks me out as his...datemate, I will continue to be that. If you're worried about work and stuff, he and I are very capable of keeping it professional."

You turned to leave, but then you felt your soul swell and you turned back around, the words tumbling from your lips before you had time to think.

"And one more thing: I wouldn't dream of breaking his heart. I would rather punch a pissed off bear right on it's doot snoot than hurt him." 

The urge to squeal in embarrassment clawed up your gullet at such an admission, but you were a champ and stomped it back down as you stared down Sans.

"omg! hahahahahaha! oh, man! you really are somethin'! no wonder paps likes you!" Sans laughed his easy, relaxed laugh as his eye lights sparked back in place, and it was like the whole energy of the room had changed just like that. He patted your shoulder in a fashion bordering just shy of being patronizing.

"i hear ya, kid. loud'n clear." He chuckled. 

"We cool?" You asked, giving him a side ways glance. Sans grinned, warmly this time and it seemed to chase all chilliness from his aura.

"we cool, kid. very cool. now, get to the kitchen before paps blows it up or i'm alfraido it'll be impasta-ble for you guys to cook."

You had the strangest feeling that you were missing something, but you shrugged it off as you headed towards the kitchen, your ears catching the sound of pans clattering to the ground making you bust into a run to see what your...boyfriend was getting himself into.

As Sans watched you take off like a rocket towards the potential calamity that awaited you, he couldn't help but smile to himself, relief steeling over his soul: he had caught a glimpse of it, of YOU, the real you and the relief he felt was immense. He didn't even have to sneak a peek! The very thought of you breaking his bros heart, and your soul had flared to life right before his very sockets!

With a soul as brilliantly purple as yours, he knew that Papyrus was in good hands. Purple souls were incredibly rare, maybe not as rare as red souls, but they were still seen very little. Purple meant staying power, unwillingness to give up or quit, that no matter what came your way, you'd make it through, and that was the kind of person his brother needed. What was that term humans were fond of using? Ride or die? Yes. His brother was a ride-or-die kind of fellow, and YOU with your bright, lavender jewel of a soul, fit the bill.

That left only one thing Sans could do in regards to the two of you ding dongs, and he knew that he would make the best wingman ever, feather or not you wanted him to...


	4. Pebble In A Pond...

"...And drivers! Remember my 3 rules when you're out on the dunes: keep your eyes peeled for other vehicles, don't gun it at the top of the dune crests, and no jumping the buggies! Have fun out there guys! Remember your return time to be picked up by our driver is 3:15 pm! Be there 5 minutes early down to the lot, ok?"

You said over your radio. You waved the four buggies on, letting them finally have their run of the dunes and you watched them tear off in the direction of Sunrise Drop, their engines roaring off into the distance.

You laughed, enjoying the sight of the buggies disappearing over the sands, before reaching for your radio. You switched it back to station one and gave your mic trigger a squeeze.

"This is Dune Patroller (Y/n) to base, do you copy?"  
The radio crackled for the briefest moment until the familiar voice of Aunt Maxine came over the radio.

"This is base, go ahead!" She chirped.

"Just finished my tour with buggies 4, 5, 6, and 7. Their return time is 3, 1, 5: that's a 3:15pm return time." You said with a lighthearted sigh, your eyes scoping the dunes from your perch, ever vigilant.  
Since one of your dune patrol had taken time off work for family matters, you got to fill in for her position while she was gone acting as a guide for your buggy renters and you loved it out there! It gave you a chance to breathe, and drool over all the amazing new sand racers people brought up themselves; you daydreamed about building your own and entering a sand drag race to keep you from being too bored, while you babysat your customers.

"Buggies 4, 5, 6, and 7 with a 3:15pm return time. Copy that. Before you go off on your patrol, a certain gentleman would like to know if you would like lunch sent up your way? He's tending the concessions currently." You could practically hear Maxine's eyebrows waggle, and you rolled your eyes affectionately at her. 

Maxine wasn't aware of the fact that you and Papyrus had started dating (you'd had quite a few picnic dates on the dunes the last couple of weeks, and your first official 'dress nice' date was tonight), but she wasn't born yesterday. She could tell that there was chemistry between the two of you, and if you were a betting woman, you'd wager she'd most likely try to play matchmaker before too long. Boy was she going to be surprised when the two of you would have to come clean (hopefully in private) much later on down the road.

So far, Papyrus was able to keep his...teeth closed around the other employees about your relationship as you didn't want anyone other than Sans to know for the time being; you didn't want to have "favoritism" tossed in either of your faces, so tasteful discretion was the name of the game. You also wanted to keep your boyfriend protected from some of the less than savory support staff; some of them could be real dicks when they wanted to be, and a few of them didn't know how NOT to push the envelope when it came to their form of 'joking'.

"That sounds lovely, actually. Please relay to our intrepid chef that I'm super hungry, and I could eat two hot dogs with light ketchup and relish, and that I said many thanks!" You knew for a fact that you weren't going to get two hot dogs, oh no. You just liked to gently ruffle Papyrus feathers since he had a slight, eensy weensy thing against them thanks to his brother, and since you couldn't fluster him in person, this long-distance teasing was all you could manage.

Truth be told, the moment you had said 'yes' to his 'will you go on a date with me' question, he'd launched into a full interrogation of what your preferences were. Everything from food, to clothing, colors, and it all having to do with a dating manual he had mentioned, had flown by so fast it made you dizzy; You had to give the man credit for his thoroughness, though. 

You couldn't help but wonder just what he was actually going to send up since your choices were limited, and given the fact that you were a picky eater, hot dogs were up on the "will happily eat" list alongside the frozen pizzas and pre-made walking tacos the concessions kitchen had readily available.

Regardless of what was sent though, you were going to eat it and be grateful. Papyrus didn't have to make you lunch, but the sheer fact he was willing to cook you something while you were out acting as a shepherd to the customers driving your dune buggies, was reason enough to stuff whatever came your way down your gullet. 

About 20 minutes later your radio crackled to life, and the voice of Nadia came in loud and clear.

"Hey (Y/n), get your adorable ass down to the parking lot. I've got your lunch, girlie!"

"Copy that! Headed down to meet you in two shakes!" You cackled with glee, speeding down the face of a dune with the grace of a drunk swallow, bouncing here and there from the bumpy terrain on your way to blessed sustenance.

You whipped your Can-Am Defender into the car lot of the dune park in record time, pulling up to the bus with a screeching halt.  
Nadia stood outside of bus number 2, holding a lunch bag and wearing a cocky smirk on her flawless, painted lips; Her signature rainbow bandana curled over her silky black hair, and her favorite red '50's shades glinting in the light of the afternoon sun.

"Well, well, well!" Her voice purred. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say somebody has a little bit of a crush on you." 

You instantly turned scarlet as you went to grab your lunch, only to have that sly minx pull it away at the last second, dangling your meal above her tall head just out of reach.

"So, you wanna tell me what's going on, or are you gonna leave your girl here in the lurch?"  
She taunted. You were too short, and a little too chubby to go trying to jump and snatch your lunch back, and relented with a heavy sigh.  
Nadia was someone you knew you could trust, hell she was the closest thing to a best friend you'd ever had, but you were still hesitant to tell anyone about your relationship; this was all still so new to you.

"Look, he's a good friend." You said, inwardly grimacing at how lame that sounded. Nadia's eyebrow arched, a teasing curve on her lips.

"Good friend" huh? Seems to me that a "good friend" would be satisfied just throwing a sandwich in for lunch, as opposed to the amount of work that went into this package." She said, wiggling the lunch bag over your head.

You groaned, clapping a hand over your face.  
You weren't getting out of this, not if Nadia had her way.

"Ok, look..." You started to say, but was momentarily cut of by a girlish victory squee from Nadia. "You are NOT to breathe a word of this to anyone! You're not to even let on that you know anything at all, you got me?"

Nadia immediately swiped her index finger in front of her mouth like she was pulling closed a zipper.

"I shall take this to the grave." She said in mock seriousness, but grinned impishly when you shot her a dirty look.

"Look, I mean it when I say I won't tell a soul, ok? You know me! My name should be 'Locked-Lips-Lucy for all the secrets I keep."

"Ok." You sighed resolutely. "Papyrus asked me out a couple of weeks ago..."

"OHMYGODNOWAY! What did you say to him?" Nadia gushed, cutting you off. She immediately blushed, apologizing for her outburst when she saw the look of displeasure plastered to your face.

You sighed.

"I said yes to Papyrus. We both really like each other, and I want to give this a shot. Ever since you-know-who cheated on me with that bartender from The Mermaids Pub, I've been pretty closed off. Papyrus is the first guy to ever make me feel....I don't know, wanted? Plus he doesn't treat me differently because I'm..." You trailed off, looking over your chubby form.

"...Not what you'd call beautiful."

The disgusted snort from your friend startled you. The glare she shot you with was, thankfully, lessened considerably by her unique set of shades but was still enough to make you cringe; if looks could kill...

"First of all: shut up! That's you-know-who talking, and as far as you should be concerned he's a giant dirtbag who no longer matters. You're a curvy girl, yes, but you're a good looking one, and considering what I've heard from Sans in the garage, Papyrus is a dude with excellent taste! Secondly, when is your date tonight, and where are you going for it?" She demanded. For a second you had come up blank, before your hungry brain stopped blue-screening and kicked back in.

"Uh...Papyrus and I are going to go to get icecream at Silver Scoops after dinner tonight around 7 O'clock." Speaking of food, your stomach growled so loudly at that moment that it made Nadia burst into a fit of giggles, handing you your lunch bag in an instant. You plopped down on the ground, leaning against your Defender and promptly opened the brown paper bag containing your much sought after food.

"That'll be cute! Good date spot, easy to get to, not too expensive, and it's right by Pelicans Park. You guys could go on the carnival rides together...Oooooooh!" Nadia teased, but then suddenly seemed a little sad.

"Best to go out there while it's still around..."

You frowned, sadness welling up from your core; Pelicans Park was, like many of the mom and pop shops, going out of business. Not enough people were coming to Silver Lake anymore, and with tourism being the lifeblood of the town, well...knowing Papyrus he'd probably jump at the chance to go, and it would be a great way to make new memories, and possibly preserve some old, fond ones while you still could.

Your stomach growled again, and you were delighted at the contents of the packed goodies you pulled out of the lunch bag, and knowing who had made it lifted your spirits considerably. Papyrus had really gone above and beyond for your lunch, and you couldn't stop the warm fuzzies that over took you; you were so going to repay the feeling.  
A container of freshly sliced cucumbers, a box of raisins, a bag of sunchips, and a toasted tuna melt with a little note on it sat before you looking better than all the gold in the world. You happily started munching on the sandwich as you plucked the note off and began to read it.

"I HOPE YOUR DAY IS AWESOME, JUST LIKE YOU. FROM, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! P.S., VERY FUNNY ABOUT THE HOTDOGS, MY NAUGHTY DATEMATE."

You felt yourself melt inside even more. Not only was your lunch the bomb, but Papyrus little love note just made your day and then some. That's it, you decided. You were going to take him to Pelicans Park as part of your date, and it was going to be your treat!

You smiled to yourself, feeling a little nostalgic; how lovely it would be to share that with Papyrus before it was gone...

"Are you even listening to me, (Y/n)?" Nadia's voice suddenly cut into your thoughts, and you blinked up at her in surprise.

"Huh?" You barked, your cheeks stuffed with food.

"I said if your date is at 7 O'clock, then I need to put your face together before you leave work tonight. Do you even know what you're going to wear?"

You almost choked on a cucumber.

"WHAT!?!" You barely managed to squawk. Your insides trembled like jelly and your deepest, darkest nightmares were about to come true: Nadia was going to 'make you over' for your date!

"Oh, of course you don't know what you're going to wear! You're completely hopeless when it comes to fashion, but don't worry! Your girl here has you covered! You'll need something cute and flirty, but not too high class..."

As Nadia went off on a tangent, you completely blue screened. You sincerely hoped that Papyrus was having an easier day than you currently were; you were being held hostage by Silver Lakes own fashion diva mechanic, and on your lunch break no less! 

~~~

You stood before your bedroom mirror, turning this way and that as you looked over the flowery spring skirt Nadia insisted you wear (under which you had shorts, your only means of rebellion), along with the matching pink blouse you had to literally stuff your buxom chest into (you were genuinely afraid to breath too deeply for fear of popping a button); even if Nadia claimed the outfit was the most basic, easy-going garment set you could wear for your date, you still felt over dressed...and heavens help you, the cosmetics! 

Nadia was 100% a grease monkey and a gifted one at that, yet she was also 100% a fashion diva, always looking model-ready even in her shop jumpsuit; the girl just naturally rocked everything. So, it was no surprise to you when you came in off the dunes to clock out and got jumped by her and her bag of holding (SO. MUCH. MAKEUP.) in the women's bathroom.

She flew around you like a honey bee, barking orders at you in a voice that brooked no argument, and like the helpless captive you were, obeyed her every command. Still, she kept the amount she'd painted onto you light, knowing you couldn't stand the stuff, and you had to admit you cleaned up nicely; all throughout dinner Papyrus couldn't stop staring at you. She had even pinned your long hair up in a way that was half up in a style most elegant, and were it not for the sheer amount of fuss that went into it, you would have worn it everyday like that if you could. Nadia had even managed to tie your glasses into the whole thing, and you had to admit she humbled you with her powers of perception.

You heard a knock at your door at exactly 7 O'clock: Papyrus was there to "pick you up" for your date. Since the two of you lived under the same roof, and since Papyrus wanted this to be as close to an classic date as possible (according to his dating manual) it had been decided that your bedroom upstairs was to be the pick up, and subsequently the drop off point for this outing.

You smoothed down your skirt before opening your bedroom door, and were completely taken aback by the sight before you. Papyrus was dressed in a pair of beige skinny slacks, a deep lavender button down shirt, a navy blue tie that had little blueberries printed on it, and a pair of dark chocolate loafers. All in all he LOOKED like dessert, and in the back of your indecent mind you wondered if he would taste better than icecream.

MIND OUT OF THE NAUGHTY ZONE!!! You shrieked at yourself internally. You smiled up at Papyrus, hoping to the heavens and back that he couldn't tell that the reason for your darkening cheeks was because your mind was sliding towards the gutter like an avalanche down a mountain.

"You look very handsome this evening." You said shyly, gently brushing a lock of hair from your face. Papyrus cheekbones blazed a dark shade of pink, but he puffed out his chest and said in a voice brimming with confidence,

"BUT OF COURSE. THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS A MASTER OF GOOD TASTE, AND MIGHT I ADD THAT YOU LOOK EQUALLY AS AMAZING?"  
He bowed from his waist slightly, offering his boney hand to you, which you took without hesitation.

You were amazed at how his skeletal digits felt against the flesh of your palm. Unlike his brother whose hands were wide, warm and a toss up between velvet and rough simultaneously, Papyrus long fingers could easily wrap around your fist. His bones felt incredibly warm, moreso than Sans, and even felt a little more dense/weightier, but there was a silkyness to them that left you stunned.

As if reading your thoughts Papyrus chuckled.

"I USE BONE LOTION TO KEEP MYSELF SMOOTH AND NICE. IF I AM TO BE THE GREATEST, I MUST HAVE IMPECCABLE GROOMING HABITS."

"But of course." You agreed, but you were a little out of your depth at that point, and you realized you should probably brush up more on your understanding of monster stuff, especially since you wanted to better understand your boyfriend. He gave your hand a little squeeze breaking your train of thought, and instantly your face blushed darker.

"I CAN'T WAIT TO GET ICECREAM WITH YOU." He grinned. "THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING! "  
He took your hand and placed it in the crook of his arm, his form towering over yours.

"LET US BE OFF, MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE. OUR NIGHT AWAITS US."  
~~~

You and Papyrus happily walked side-by-side, each with an icecream cone in hand, down the boardwalk towards Pelicans Park and the setting sun. The sounds of carnival ride music and soft chatter filled the cool evening air as the two of you strode in peace, devouring your treats like children. Papyrus let out a happy groan, and out of the corner of your eye you saw a bright, orange thing swipe at a dribble of chocolate from his cone.

You watched in shocked awe as he lapped at his icecream with that softly glowing appendage; skeleton monsters have tongues? It was a little long, and very much like a humans only slightly more triangular, ending with a tad more of a point to it than yours did.

He suddenly stopped mid-lick when he caught you staring at him in surprise, his chocolate coated appendage sticking out part way before pulling it back into his mouth and swallowing.

"IS SOMETHING WRONG, (Y/N)? DID I GET CHOCOLATE ON MY FACE?" He asked nervously. You had to slap yourself mentally to reboot your thoughts as the sight you had just witnessed had truly thrown you. Before you could catch yourself you let slip out,

"How do you have a tongue?" Papyrus cheekbones turned a soft shade of red before he let out a hearty laugh.

"NYEH-HEH-HEH! MY TONGUE? AND HERE I THOUGHT YOU WERE STUNNED BY MY DASHING GOOD LOOKS." He teased, laughing even harder when he saw the brilliant shade of crimson you were quickly turning.

"MY TONGUE IS A NATURAL PART OF MY INCREDIBLE PHYSIQUE AND IT IS GENERATED BY MY MAGIC. I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT, IT JUST AUTOMATICALLY HAPPENS: THINK THE SAME WAY YOU HUMANS BREATHE." He said matter of factly, giving you a demonstration as he leaned down towards you, bright orange tongue suddenly appearing between his teeth and stole a long, slow lick from your dribbling cone; that cheeky bastard was trying to fluster you even more, and he nicked some of your icecream! 

He smacked his none existant lips and said with a grin and a wink,  
"MMMMMM! DELICIOUS! YOU HAVE EXCELLENT TASTE IN ICECREAM, (Y/N). IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT THE DATEMATE OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD BE A CONNOISSEUR OF SUCH THINGS."  
Was it getting hot out? Because it sure as hell felt like it! If it was a fluster fight he wanted, well two could play at that game, and you fully intended to win.

"H-hey!" You stammered, pouting as cutely as possible as your cheeks blushed. "No fair! That was an awfully big lick, sir!" 

"OH! WHERE ARE MY MANNERS? HERE, HAVE A TASTE OF MINE. IT'S CUSTOMARY FOR DATEMATES TO SHARE, YES?" Papyrus brought his icecream down to your level, and inwardly you grinned like the Cheshire Cat. This was going to be good!

You gently grabbed hold of his hand as it sat wrapped around the base of his cone, making sure he couldn't move. As innocently as you pleased, you placed your lips on the very tip of the chocolate icecream ball and...

The groan you elicited as you sensuously lapped at his icecream, and the motions that followed could have easily been classified as positively criminal; you could have sworn you heard his "throat" hitch! After a few seconds of prolonged torture, you pulled back, teasingly licking your lips clean of chocolate and throwing your date the sweetest smile you could muster.

"Thanks Papyrus." You chirped, noting that his entire skull was beet red, his mouth was hanging open just a wee bit, and his brow bones were somewhere in outer space. You reached up to his face with your free hand and gingerly closed his jaw before walking ahead of him, cheerily devouring your melting icecream. You stopped a few steps ahead of him, turning around to face his direction, and with a coquettish tilt of your head asked,

"Papyrus, you coming?" In almost cartoon fashion he shook his head, before zipping over to you like a hummingbird in flight and tentatively putting his free arm around your shoulders; his entire demeanor changed from that point on. You looked up at him, beamed, and the two of you walked snuggled against each other, an intense blush on both your faces.

I definitely won that, you thought with a giggle as you wrapped your arm around his waist in turn and directed him towards the entry arches of Pelicans Park; he'd had no idea you were about to surprise him even more with his first ever time to a theme park, though you weren't sure how it would stack in comparison to the act you had just committed. Oh well!

~~~

"WOWWIE!" Papyrus exclaimed as you two got off the swirling clam shell ride. He clapped a boney hand against his skull as his head reeled from being spun around so many times. He leaned into you, stumbling a little, his arm wrapping snuggly around your shoulders as he gathered his wits.

"NYEH-HEH-HEH! THAT WAS AWESOME!" Laughter bubbled up from your core as you steadied your tall boyfriend, doing your best to try and stay upright yourself; your eyes felt like they were spinning in your head.

"You wanna give it a few minutes before we hit the next ride?" You asked, looking up at the handsome skeleton who was currently using you as a crutch.

"YOU ARE MY DATEMATE, AND I WISH TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO." He sounded adamant, but you knew that that was code for 'I'm too manly to admit I need a rest', so you opted to sit him down on the nearest bench.  
Unfortunately the closest thing to a sitting place was a photo booth a few feet away, and to your discerning, glasses-covered eyes it appeared unoccupied.

Hmmmm...That gave you an idea.

"Come on, handsome. I've got an idea for a relaxing break in between rides." It took a little doing, but you managed to stumble over to the photo booth, pulling back the curtain to reveal that it was, in fact, empty. You somehow got Papyrus safely inside it, though when you entered you noticed that it was going to be tight quarters unless you sat on his lap...

You took one look at your boyfriend, who was grinning cheekily back at you before snapping you up in his embrace, and as gentlemanly as possible, deposited you right between his thigh bones.

"THIS IS COZY." He remarked. "IF I HAD KNOWN YOU WANTED TO BE THIS CLOSE TO ME, I WOULD HAVE OPTED FOR THIS SOONER."

"Oh, yeah? Just wait 'till you see what's next!" You giggled, pulling out from your borrowed clutch a 5$ bill and glad he couldn't see your face at that moment. 

"This is a photo booth, and we are about to get our pictures taken, if you're up for it?" You said teasingly.

"WOWWIE! LIKE THE ONES FROM THE MOVIES? THEN YES! LET'S DO THIS!"

"Awesome!" You grinned. "The booth will take a series of 5 photos, and we'll have 10 seconds between each one to strike a pose according to the booth plaque. You ready?"

Papyrus gave you a stoic nod, his skull a mask of determination.

"READY!" He said. You quickly inserted the 5$ into the slot, the machine whirring as it proceeded to rev up its motors. A voice overhead suddenly blasted in the tiny confines of the booth making you both jump,

"Picture time! Are we ready? Count down begin! 10...9...8..."

The two of you scrambled. "Quick! Do a superhero pose!" You squealed. Papyrus threw up both his arms and flexed looking off to the side, you imitating him as his mirror.

A bright flash went off, and then the count down began again. Several poses later, and the two of you exited the booth, giggling together like idiots while your INCREDIBLY flushed faces tried to cool down. The pictures printed out quickly, and the two of you gawked at how silly you both looked. First shot was obviously your superhero pose, the next picture was of the two of you sticking out your tongues, the third picture Papyrus had put his chin on your head and did a 'Vogue' shot, the fourth picture had you both looking behind you, and the very last one was definitely your favorite.

Papyrus had, at the last second, pulled you close and 'kissed' your cheek with his teeth, causing your eyes to go wide, and your mouth to grin in open shock. He stood next to you, suddenly bashful as he rubbed the back of his skull nervously while you looked over the pictures.

"I DO HOPE THAT WASN'T TOO FORWARD OF ME TO KISS YOU LIKE THAT..." He began, shuffling his loafered feet where he stood. 

"Oh, no! Not at all!" You rushed to assure him. "I um...I really liked that." You held up the proof of your shocked delight for him to view.

"See! That right there is happy/surprised: I got a kiss from the Great Papyrus, and here's the picture proof."  
Papyrus puffed out his chest, a proud grin on his ruddy cheekbones.

"A PIECE OF HISTORY IN THE MAKING!  
I SHOULD BE CALLED PAPYRUS THE BOLD. AND YOU!" He turned his sockets on you, and in their depths you saw actual stars.  
"YOU SHALL BE KNOWN AS THE BEAUTIFUL (Y/N), FAIR LADY OF THE DUNES!"  
You both broke into giggles as you began to walk towards the next ride, his arm back around your shoulders holding you close, and for the first time in ages you relished the feel of being held; your chest felt oddly tingly and warm, but you ignored it thinking it was just your nerves. You tucked the pictures safely into your clutch knowing full well where you were going to pin it up once you got home: definitely the fridge! Best spot to show it off at, you thought.

"So, what should we do next, Master Papyrus, boldest of the bold?" You asked, making him puff out his chest even more with your praise. Your boyfriend looked about, his 'eyes' scanning the area until they lit upon something that peeked his interest. 

"IS THAT A RACE TRACK?"" His excited voice filled the air, his long, boney arm pointing towards what could only be described as heaven on wheels in your opinion.

Pelicans Park did indeed have a racetrack, and even if the park itself had seen better days, their go kart track had been the pride and joy of the park since its opening in the '80s. With every 'era' that had passed, the owners had made sure to update not only the aesthetics surrounding the track, but added little things extra to the track itself until it was the glorious behemoth that it was today.

It was, however, expensive to go on, and judging by how many tickets you had left, that would be the last you could do on your date as far as rides went. But, the urge to get on the track yourself was burning a hole in your wallet, and a huge, irresponsible part of yourself was screaming "FUCK IT, WOMAN! YOU WERE BORN TO RACE! GO HAVE FUN!"  
Plus, this was Papyrus first time soooo....

"That is totally a go kart track. You, uh, feel like racing against me?" You said, trying to control your own excitement; you were about to share yet another one of your passions with your boyfriend, and boy was he in for a shock...

"WOULD I EVER! THOUGH I WARN YOU (Y/N), THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS A BORN RACER. I WON'T LOSE!" The skeleton gave his best heroic pose next to you, making you laugh as you raced ahead of him to the entry point.

"H-HEY! WAIT FOR ME!" He cried, following suit.  
~~~

The two of you were the only riders sitting at the starting line. No one else was willing to pay the steep, 15 tickets-a-head price and that suited you just fine, especially since it gave you the opportunity to show off to your datemate.

You looked over at Papyrus from where you sat, seeing him wave cheerfully at you from the red kart with neon yellow flames painted on it; totally his colors! Your kart was the perfect shade of blue with blazing green lightning bolts splashed across the sides, and everything about it screamed to you. 

Dubstep music suddenly started up, and you could feel the delighted adrenaline flood your veins, crashing through you and sending your heart racing in your chest. You were so ready to fly across this track and show off some of your hidden talents! 

The light overhead flashed red, then yellow...

"Hey Papyrus!" You shouted. He tilted his head at you questioningly. "You're one hot skeleton!"

You winked at him immediately after your quick admission, blew a kiss, and then put the pedal to the metal the second the light turned green, leaving him behind with a bewildered, crimson-cheeked face and a cloud of dust.

The two of you raced like it was real life Mario Kart, minus the arsenal of assorted road follies of course, and the feeling of absolute, unmistakable joy you felt hugging curves and tearing up the road was a heady experience. Papyrus gave you a run for your money, but you were one smooth operator, using your arsenal of driving tricks to stay ahead.  
By the time you were finished (in first place, like a minx) you were nothing short of floating on air as you walked away from the karts, Papyrus scant steps behind you completely blown away by your 'prowess' on the track.

"It's only go karts, Papyrus!" You laughed, though you happily soaked up every bit of praise your boyfriend lavished on you.

Not too long after, the two of you made your way home, happy, excited, and a little hot under the collar from the evenings activities. Papyrus walked you up to the door of your room, as was your agreed upon custom, only this time he didn't give you his usual kiss on the back of your hand.

"MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE, IF IT'S ALRIGHT WITH YOU, I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO KISS YOU." He said earnestly, standing tall before you with a look of unabashed longing on his face. 

It never ceased to amaze you just how gallant Papyrus was, and if truth be told, you knew you'd only had a handful of dates together, but hot damn if you weren't falling fast for this boney fellow. Somewhere in the back of your soul you knew that this wasn't just "great chemistry", that there were things going on here far above your level of understanding, but you were unable to stop yourself from being pulled into it like a moth to a flame; this felt so right being with him. Didn't matter that he was a monster and you were a human: there was no ignoring this magnetism, and for the first time in your life, you didn't care if you got burnt.

"I would very much like that." It was a simple enough statement, and yet it felt like the whole universe was holding its breath in anticipation of what was to come next.

Two boney hands, long in reach, and warm of touch gently came up and gripped your shoulders. Papyrus leaned over, lowering his skull to your upturned face, and it was then that an intense buzzing sensation began to thrum in your breast. It wasn't painful, nor was it unpleasant, if anything you felt like the reverberations of a bell were echoing in your very being the closer he got.

Ever so softly his teeth touched your lips, and you felt the brush of warm breath across your nose, and the teasing flutter of butterfly wings in your stomach. Heat flooded your blood, and the vibrations in your soul suddenly cried out for something...more.

You reached up and cupped Papyrus cheekbone, pressing your lips closer to his teeth, and suddenly his mouth parted, his tongue slipping out; that was all it took. It was as if a dam broke, and the two of you were feverishly sucking face (which was a little strange considering he was bone and you were flesh, but you managed to pull it off) in front of your bedroom door, hands trailing down arms, smooth bone stroking velvet skin; the thrumming in your chest practically singing throughout your entire being.

You only stopped when the two of you heard familiar laughter come from down in the kitchen: Sans was home from the movies and must have seen your photo booth pictures you two had pinned to the fridge.

Papyrus pulled away from you, but kept his face mere inches from yours, stars in his sockets and skull ablaze.

"I....UM...GOOD NIGHT, M-MY DARLING (Y/N)." He cupped your cheek, giving you one more kiss. "I WILL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING."

"Y-yeah... see you in the morning." You managed to squeak out, too flustered to say anymore. He waited until you were in your bedroom before heading down the stairs. You slumped against your closed door trying to contain the giddy urge to squeal out loud in delight, clapping your hands over your very heated face.

That's when you heard Sans voice downstairs laughingly say,

"nice shade of lipstick there, papyrus! not to be mouthy, but i guess it's safe to assume your date went reeeaaallly well?"

"OH, SANS! CEASE YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Papyrus groaned, followed by unusual silence.

You heard a startled gasp from your boyfriend, and his clear footfalls running across the livingroom floor towards the hallway mirror.

"so, tell me the tooth: how was the dental action?"

"SANS!" Papyrus growled.

"what? can't a bro be curious? I betcha you learned a new language tonight!" Sans said in a sing-song voice.

"I'M WARNING YOU!"

"betcha it was..."

"DON'T YOU DARE!"

"...french!"

The sound of Papyrus shriek of "NYEH!" followed by the sound of something soft smacking the livingroom wall echoed through the house.

You completely lost your shit, dissolving into a fit of unrestrained giggles on your bedroom floor. You really were falling for that tall skeleton monster, and you couldn't wait to see what tomorrow had instore for the both of you.


	5. ...Ripples.

Summer was almost there, and with it came heat, and storms, and renters. Heavens willing you got more customers once the hot weather tourists flocked to Silver Lake; the shops ledgers were starting to dip a little too close to the red line, and if the Buggy Shop was going to survive, hell if any of you hoped to survive, you knew you had to come up with something to draw in business before the season took off.  
Just gotta shake the old brain there and you hoped you could come up with something good.

At least your love life was on the good side of things. Your relationship with Papyrus was definitely going well. After your date at Pelicans Park, the two of you started finding any and all reasons to be near each other at work while still maintaining the guise of professionalism; and at home?  
You found yourselves naturally gravitating towards each other, be it sitting side by side on the couch, at the dinner table, his boney hands naturally finding yours and vice versa; it was almost a quiet, uncomfortable feeling to be too far apart, and while your rational mind didn't know what to make of this, your soul lead the way unflinchingly and without fear. Even Sans had taken note of how the dynamic between you and his brother had changed so quickly.

At times when you three were relaxing at home after work, or doing things on the days you had off, you would spot Sans out of the corner of your eye, starring at you both with a weird look on his face, almost like he was thinking too hard about something. Whenever you would turn to look at him, asking him what was up, he would just give you his normal smirk, blush, and wave you away claiming he was thinking up couples puns he could tease you and Papyrus with. You shrugged him off, chalking it up to Sans just being, well, Sans.

As far as Papyrus went though, your feelings towards him were growing in strength at a rate you knew should be, at the very least a little alarming, but your intuition, your very SOUL balked at the thought of any of this being wrong. Still, it left you somewhat confused, wondering if this was normal for monster/human couples to experience so swift an attraction; maybe his magic had an effect on you? Regardless, you hadn't expected to receive an answer to your pondering, but boy howdy did you, and it was NOT what you had expected at all.

~~~~

The day had started off as pretty normal for the most part. It was a bright, sunny Sunday morning, Papyrus was up at 7am on the dot as per his usual, quickly throwing together breakfast while Sans turtle-crawled his way to getting dressed, and you tiredly assisted Papyrus efforts in the kitchen, stretching and yawning as you did.

Sans wandered into the room looking as if he were sleep walking, plopping himself down in the breakfast nook wearing another dirty shirt and his poor, scrubby blue hoody. You were in the middle of scrambling some eggs when you heard Papyrus cluck at him disapprovingly.

"REALLY SANS!" He grumped from over by the coffee pot that he had been filling with water. "DIRTY CLOTHES AGAIN? DIDN'T I JUST WASH YOU SOME?"

Sans was leaning his head on the table, both arms under his skull, looking for all the world like he was comatose or damn near close to being so.

"wash you talkin' 'bout?" He slurred, sounding very much like he was talking through a river of drool. "i gotta come clean: i wore'm already."

You looked over your shoulder at the older skeleton and said,

"Sans, Paps washed those three days ago. You're telling me you're out already?"

"eeyup." He mumbled. "only got three shirts, one hoody, and a pair'ah socks. guess you could say i'm shorts on clothes."

"HONESTLY BROTHER, IF YOU'D JUST GET YOUR SHIRT TOGETHER ON OUR DAYS OFF, AS OPPOSED TO BEING LAZY, WE COULD HAVE COTTEN YOU SOME NEW CLOTHES ALREADY." Papyrus retorted.

"I KNOW YOU HATE GETTING UP EARLY, BUT IF YOU'D JUST SOCK IT UP A LITTLE, WE COULD BUY YOU NEW CLOTHES TO LAST YOU A WHILE AND SUSPENDER CONSTANT NEED FOR ME TO DO LAUNDRY."

You're pretty sure your brain just broke, because there was NO WAY he just said what you think he said. You physically felt Sans in the nook sit up straight from across the room and heard him quietly sniff the air, and when you looked at him from over your shoulder you saw the biggest look of surprise on his face AND he was sweating bullets.

"y-yeah..." Was all he could manage to say in reply, his eyes devoid of light.  
Ok, you thought. Something is very off here.  
Sans NEVER missed an opportunity to have a pun-off especially if he could irritate his little brother, and it was incredibly rare for him to go 'lighless' in the sockets unless the issue at hand was very serious.

While Papyrus back was turned you shot Sans a questioning look, but all he did was quickly gesture with one phalange on his skeleton teeth to be 'quiet', and was beginning to make another gesture when something small, white, and round shot toward him making Sans teleport away with a nervous laugh.  
Papyrus immediately abandoned the coffee pot, bee-lining for the livingroom as a bunch of little white pellets suddenly began hovering around him.

"SANS!" He practically howled, his skull blazing red. "STOP WHISPERING TO MY DATEMATE! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT BEHIND MY BACK? I CAN'T BELIEVE..."  
You weren't sure how you managed to do it, but your scrambling legs had you jumping in front of your suddenly raging boyfriend before he could get halfway down the hall. You threw up your hands, placing them firmly on his broad, feverishly warm chest bones halting his progress.

"HOOOOOOOLD IT!" You shouted, startling Papyrus into a dead stop. He starred down at you, 'blinking' rapidly as if he were just waking up from sleep, and then realization seemed to steal over his skull.

"OH...OH MY GOD!" He gasped, clasping his boney hands over his mouth, a look of pure dismay warping his features, the pellets disappearing instantly.

"(Y-Y/N), SANS, I'M SO, SO SORRY...I...I..." You were stunned to see tears, actual tears well up in the corners of Papyrus eyes and cascade down his cheekbones like water from a broken dam (skeleton monsters apparently could cry. You were learning new things every day).

"IT'S JUST THAT...YOU SEE...I'M..." He stammered. You couldn't take hearing his distressed voice any longer, it literally made your soul hurt! You wrapped your arms around his ribs and hugged him tight, feeling him immediately reciprocate the gesture as you nuzzled his sternum. He wept softly into your hair, little heart-wrenching sobs shaking his shoulders, and your entire being cried out to comfort him!

"Honey, honey, what's wrong? Lover, are you ok? " You couldn't stop the terms of affection that spilled over your lips and it was kind of embarrassing to say such things outloud, but the need to comfort your (mate) boyfriend was paramount.  
"Babe, what's going on? Talk to me sugar skull!" That last one suddenly had Papyrus laughing, squeezing you tighter to himself, his mood shifting rapidly.

"SUGAR SKULL, EH? NYEH-HEH-HEH! I LIKE THAT ONE. SOUNDS BOTH SWEET AND BADASS!" He chuckled; that sounded more like the skeleton you knew and (loved) cared for. You pulled away from him just enough to look up at his wet sockets, his visage a mix between happy and pained.

"You wanna come sit with me on the couch for a minute, tell me what's going on with you?" You asked, softly. Papyrus gave you a single nod, and what sounded like a shaky breath, letting you go just enough so that you could walk, but still keeping an arm firmly around your shoulders.

You thought Sans might be in the livingroom waiting for the two of you, but upon entering the shared space, saw that he was nowhere to be found; Papyrus seemed to notice this as well.

"SANS HAS MOST LIKELY TAKEN A...SHORTCUT TO WORK, TO...TO GIVE US SOME PRIVACY. MY BROTHER MAY BE A LAYABOUT, BUT HE IS AT LEAST CONSIDERATE." Papyrus said warmly as the two of you sat down on the couch together. Apparently the look of confusion on your face was enough to make your boyfriend chuckle a little.

"SANS CAN...TELEPORT SHORT DISTANCES. HE CALLS IT 'TAKING A SHORTCUT', AND IT'S PART OF HIS MAGIC. MOST TIMES I WOULD CALL HIM LAZY FOR USING IT, BUT FOR ONCE I AM GRATEFUL HE CAN DO IT."

"Ah, I see." You said, trying to be nonchalant. "Speaking of...stuff...are you ok? I'm a little confused by what's happening, and to be quite honest, I'm very worried."

Papyrus skull turned bright pink, and for a moment he refused to look at you, though he did take hold of your hand.

"YOU SEE, MONSTERS, PARTICULARLY MALE MONSTERS, HAVE THIS...THING WE GO THROUGH EVERY SO OFTEN."

For a brief moment you had a flashback to a time in junior high when you, and every other unwitting student was introduced to Sex Ed class, and you had to wonder if you were about to get the monster equivalent right there in the middle of your livingroom.

"MUCH LIKE HUMANS HAVE...CYCLES...THAT THEY GO THROUGH, SO DO MONSTERS, ONLY OURS DEALS WITH MAGIC AS OPPOSED TO THE HUMAN EQUIVALENT OF...HORMONES."

Yup. This was going to be Monster Sex Ed, and though you knew you should pay close attention, a huge part of your brain was just a little too flustered to really grasp what was going on.

"WHEN WE'RE...UNATTACHED, WE SUFFER MILD MOODINESS, MINOR QUIRKS TO OUR PERSONALITIES, AND THE NEED FOR SPACE. BUT WHEN WE HAVE MATES, OR DATEMATES, WELL..." It was at that point that you could feel heat radiating off of your boyfriends body, his face was turning scarlet and he looked away from you.

"WHEN WE HAVE MATES, OR DATEMATES WE BECOME MORE INTENSE. MOODSWINGS, BEHAVIORAL QUIRKS, ELEVATED TEMPERATURES, THE DRIVE TO KEEP OUR PARTNERS AWAY FROM POTENTIAL...UM...THREATS. ALL OF IT IS AMPLIFIED, ALONG WITH THE URGE...TO...UH...MATE WITH OUR PARTNER."

You felt the world drop out from under you, and a wave of embarrassment hit you like a ton of bricks. How did one respond to such information as this?

"Am I causing you discomfort by being here?" You asked, tentatively, choosing not to acknowledge the last thing he said.  
"I can stay with Aunty Maxine if my being here is exacerbating your...condition..."  
Papyrus head whipped around to face you, his face a mask of fierceness as he suddenly death-gripped your poor hand.

"NO!" He growled, before taking a steadying breath to calm himself, and then gently rubbing his bones over your hand to soothe it.  
"FORGIVE ME FOR SNAPPING...AND FOR SQUEEZING TOO HARD, MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE. PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME, IT WILL ONLY MAKE IT WORSE, AND...I WOULD MISS YOU." He said succinctly. You melted a little at his admission.  
"IN ORDER FOR THE AMAZING PAPYRUS TO STAY AMAZING, I NEED TO BE AS NEAR TO YOU AS POSSIBLE UNTIL THIS PASSES, THAT AND KEEP YOU AWAY FROM OTHER MALES.""

"That's going to be kinda tough to do, Papyrus..." You said, frowning in thought.  
Your brain began processing information kicking it into overtime, thinking up solutions as to how to make this work, and then it hit you!

"I've got it!" You exclaimed. "We'll work concessions together! It's bloody genius! Aunty Maxine can work the front desk with Nadia, and we'll be in close proximity to each other so you don't have to worry."

You grinned encouragingly up at your datemate.

"So long as I don't have to cover for anyone, we can stay back there until your...?" You looked to him with raised brows, your question hanging between the two of you like a neon sign.

"THE CLOSEST HUMAN-TERM EQUIVALENT WOULD BE...RUTTING." His voice was soft, laced with self-consciousness at his precarious position.

"Right, rutting. I can't stay away from all males, but if we work together, we just might pull this off. Now, my other concern is Sans..." At mentioning his brothers name, Papyrus began to tear up again, and it made your heart ache.

"I FEEL AWFUL! I THREW PELLETS...PELLETS! AT MY OWN BROTHER! HOW COULD I EVEN THINK HE WOULD TRY TO TAKE YOU FROM ME? HE WOULD NEVER TRY TO HURT ME LIKE THAT, OR YOU!" He wailed. You gently cupped Papyrus face between your hands, making him look at you, your thumbs rubbing little circles over his cheekbones.

"Hey, I'm sure he understands that you aren't exactly yourself right now, honey. I mean, come on, it's Sans, the most laid back dude on the planet." His brow bones slowly began to rise as understanding dawned on him.

"If you talk to Sans, tell him you're sorry for going off on him like that, knowing him he'll probably shrug it off and let it pass; You're his brother, after all, and he loves you."

Pearl-white phalanges tenderly grabbed your hands as Papyrus nuzzled into your palms, a deep sigh escaping from his nose hole.

"OH, MY TRULY WONDEROUS DATEMATE, THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL NOT LOOSE HIS COOLNESS THANKS TO YOUR AMAZING CARE."  
He suddenly grinned at you from between your hands, the corners of his sockets crinkling with mirth.

"What? What's so funny?"

"TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE EVER USED TERMS OF ENDEARMENT ON THE GREAT PAPYRUS." He chuckled, nuzzling even more into your hands, even going so far as to plant a skeleton kiss into one, and then the other. You felt your face flush.

"I REALLY, REALLY LIKED IT. I WANT TO BE CALLED 'HONEY' AGAIN. PLEASE, MY BEAUTIFUL (Y/N)? SAY IT AGAIN! "  
~~~~

The next couple of days proved a little challenging, though you managed to help keep Papyrus somewhat calm, you found that his amorous aura was beginning to get to you. There were brief moments where you also felt moody, territorial even, but you were one tough cookie; you also somehow managed to convince your Aunt to let you work concessions with your boyfriend without too much of a fuss over those few days as well. 

"I'm just not feeling the best." You had told her. "Running the snack stand with Papyrus will give me a little time to recoup, ya know?"

Aunty Maxine had clucked sympathetically, patting your arm saying,

"My dear girl, I understand completely! No need to say more." Suspicious at her ease of understanding, you asked,

"Y-you do?" Unable to keep the incredulous note from your voice, nor could you stop your brow from arching.

"But of course! I was your age once, and I still remember my days 'surfing the crimson tide', and I completely understand wanting Papyrus to assist you. He strikes me as quite the sympathetic cutie pie, and I think he's sweet on youuuuu~!"  
If your life were an anime, you knew you'd have fallen over at this point; she thought it was your...period? Ugh! Well, guess that was a better excuse than just 'feeling under the weather', and it was a plausible one at that, still...

Everything was going off without a hitch thus far: Sans had forgiven Papyrus stating he understood what he was going through (to an extent), Papyrus was on day 3 and showing signs of calming down, and nobody caught on fire. So, mission accomplished, or so you thought, until Eric came in one afternoon when Papyrus was having a particularly moody 'flare up', and set off a chain of events that would test the foundation on which your core essence was firmly based.

Eric had come in on his lunch break that bright, incredibly warm afternoon, looking for something to sate his grumbling stomach; Papyrus had been delegated to running the popcorn machine in back since his verbal vitriol about "greasy food" had proven a little too easily heard by customers up front, so in order for you to be near him and yet out of earshot, he was temporarily banished to the realm of popcorn production.

"Heya cupcake." Eric teased, sauntering in like he owned the snack stand, leaning up against your counter as if he were James Dean in some loner-bad-boy flick from the '60's; made you roll your eyes, honestly. 

"Whatcha got for me behind the counter?" He asked with a grin. "I'm starving!"

"Same old same old." You sighed, straightening one of the cup stacks in front of you.

"Then I'll get my usual corn dogs, and maybe something extra, dunno what that'll be yet." He said. You hopped-to it and set about filling up a cup of Pepsi for him as you prepared his usual fare with ease; he may come off as a peacock most days, but when it came to foodstuffs, his choices very rarely deviated, and you could literally throw together his whole order blindfolded if it ever came down to it.

Eric cast his eyes once more to the menue board, and what you thought was going to be his extra order, well, that's not what came out of his mouth.

"So, heard through the grapevine you're back on the dating scene." He tried to sound nonchalant, but he couldn't hide the curiosity that seeped into his voice. You almost dropped his pop in shock, but you were quick to catch yourself and tried to continue preparing his lunch, all while your heart was suddenly dancing a wild jig in your ribcage.

"Oh, yeah?" You asked, hopefully not sounding nervous. "Who'd you hear this from?"

Eric chuckled, crossing his burley arms over his chest, a smirk tickling the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, all over the place. A couple of girls I hang out with, platonically of course, said they've been seeing you around the town with some mystery guy."

Inwardly you laughed; platonically, eh? That's rich coming from Silver Lakes own Don Jaun.

"Wow. Didn't know my love life was so high up on the town gossip list. Must be a really slow spell for ya'll to wanna talk about little 'ole me." Your voice, even to your ears, sounded nervous, and you knew if you could hear it, Eric could, too.

"Cooooome ooooon!" He whined, just as you were throwing together his corn dogs. "Can't blame a guy for being inquisitive, can you? I mean, you've been the town lone wolf for the past, what? Five years? And now all of a sudden you've got some mystery fella you're seeing. It's enough to make anyone in this quiet burg hella curious."

You snorted derisively, rolling your eyes at him as he pouted like a hurt puppy at you.

"Town lone wolf? Ruuuuude!"

"Please? At least tell me if he's from out of town! Betcha he's a vacationer! Oh! Oh! Did he fall for you while you were giving your tour up on the dunes?" He said, clasping his hands in front of himself, puckering his lips and making kissy sounds into the air.

"Oh, my god Eric! Seriously? Are you that bored that my love life is really all that interesting?" You huffed, putting his tray of food down in front of him with an emphatic smack on the counter.

"Yessss...?" He grinned, batting his dark lashes at you.

"Get a hobby." You laughed. Suddenly Eric placed one of his hands on yours, intimately rubbing your knuckles with his thumb, leaning in as close as he could towards you, face inches from your own, and instantly you were uncomfortable.

"But seriously, who's the guy? You know you can talk to me, right?" You felt something in your chest tie up in a knot, and a feeling of nausea washed over you; Eric touching you in that fashion, invading your personal space, felt horribly wrong.

"Look, it's nobody's business who I'm dating, and I like to keep my personal life private. I'm not one to feed the gossips, if you catch my drift." Your voice was as calm as you could have managed, and when you tried to pull your hand away, Eric squeezed it tighter keeping you firmly in his grip before his thumb returned to caressing your balled fist; bad vibes came off of him like waves on a beach and you felt your stomach roll.

"Eric, please let go of my hand." Your voice wavered, causing him to cease stroking your knuckles and squeeze even tighter, almost painfully so.

"But, we're friends, aren't we? I just wanna know..." He began to whine again, his fake pout cloyingly sweet. The fear gripping your heart felt like ice as you saw for the briefest of moments, the darkness that flashed in his eyes.

"Eric!" You barked. "Stop it!!!"

Apparently that was loud enough for a certain someone to hear, and as fast as it took your heart to beat he was there. Papyrus towered over you, an aura of primal instinct and protectiveness surrounding him as he leaned over you, caging you between his arms as he placed his boney palms on the counter on either side of you. You felt immediately relieved to have him so close, his head looming over yours as if to shield you.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY DATEMATE, HUMAN?" His voice was low, gravelly, like two crumbling bricks grinding against each other, and you felt like weeping with relief at his presence. 

"Y-your datemate?" Eric stuttered, too stunned to move as his eyes went wide with terror.

"YES, MY DATEMATE, OR GIRLFRIEND AS YOU HUMAN MALES WOULD CALL HER. I'LL ASK YOU ONE LAST TIME: WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY DATEMATE? " Papyrus sockets went from Eric, down to the hand that was now clutching yours, and then back up to Eric.

"RELEASE YOUR HOLD ON (Y/N)." His voice was commanding, and held the promise of retaliation if obedience was denied.

Eric snatched his hand off of yours like he had been burned, his face draining of color as he stared up into the angry visage of the tall skeleton monster who was blatantly sizing him up, and then openly scoffing at Eric; the puny human male would pose no threat to the Great Papyrus and that was as clear as the sun in the sky.

"Er...uh...I was just talking to (Y/N). Yup! Just talking! T-two friends chatting it up." Eric stammered. Papyrus snorted in disgust.

"REALLY? BECAUSE FROM WHERE I'M STANDING, IT LOOKED AN AWFUL LOT LIKE YOU WERE HURTING HER, KNAVE. FRIENDS DO NOT HURT FRIENDS, AND THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT TOLERATE SUCH ACTIONS, ESPECIALLY NOT WHEN YOU'VE INAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHED MY DATEMATE WITHOUT HER CONSENT." Papyrus hissed, clacking his jaws shut with an audible snap for emphasis.

"I...uh...um...should probably go." The mechanic sputtered, fear beating like a drum in his breast.

"NOT BEFORE YOU APOLOGIZE." Papyrus said, still growling, his words clipped and angry.

"W-what..?"

"I SAID APOLOGIZE!" He snarled, causing Eric to hastily blurt out, "I'm sorry!"

Your boyfriend shook his head. "NOT TO ME, YOU BUFFOON! TO HER! SHE IS THE ONE YOU HAVE TRESPASSED AGAINST, AND IF SHE DEEMS YOUR APOLOGY AS ACCEPTABLE, THEN YOU WILL BE SHOWN MERCY..." It was then that Papyrus leaned even further down, until his sockets were level with Eric's eyes. 

"BUT JUST BARELY ANY." 

Eric turned his paling face towards you, quickly murmuring "I'm very sorry, (Y/N)."

You gave him the barest hint of a nod, which sent the man bolting out of the concessions area, food in tow, headed right for the garage with his tail firmly between his legs.

Your sigh of relief filled the air around you, and was very much noticed by the skeleton hovering over your head. He gently took you into his arms, rubbing his skull all over your hair, a soft sound, almost a groaning purr rumbled out of Papyrus as he did so. The vibrations reached deep into your soul, soothing your spirit like a balm, and you cuddled as close to him as you could get soaking up the comfort he offered.

When he was finished nuzzling his face all over your blushing head, he released his hold on you just enough for you to look up at him.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE?" He asked, his voice back to its normal pitch, sockets assessing, searching your eyes with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine now that you're here honey, but I think you terrified Eric." You sighed wearily. You really didn't want to give two shits about the mechanic at that point, but seeing as he was an employee, you still needed him to stick around (even though you wished you could fire him for the crap he just put you through).

Papyrus frowned in disgust.

"HE SHOULD BE SCARED. I'LL NOT SIT IDLY BY WHILE THE SWEETHEART OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS BEING TORMENTED BY SUCH CALLOUSNESS! AND THAT'S NOT JUST MY...UM...RUT TALKING, EITHER. IT'S ALL PAPYRUS! "

Awwwww! Your boyfriend was literally the greatest!

"Paps..." You smiled warmly, that thrumming hum blossoming in your chest.  
"Rut or no rut: you're my sweetheart, too. Thank you for coming to my rescue."

Papyrus beamed, his cheekbones vibrantly pink at your words, that happy, groaning purr sounding in his ribs as he clutched you close to himself once more.

"YOU ARE MOST WELCOME, MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE."  
~~~~  
A couple of days had passed before Eric was willing to even talk to you again, and the only reason he had approached you to speak this time, wasn't to apologize (again) for coming off as a pushy creep.

You had been watching the front desk on behalf of Nadia and Aunty Maxine so that the two of them could eat their lunches in peace at the snack stand, away from the hubbub that was the front office; there was also the fact that they could pick Papyrus proverbial brain about his dating you (since you had decided to tell your aunt about you seeing each other before the gossip mongers got to her), which you found a little humorous, albeit nosy, but Papyrus was good about respecting the privacy of your relationship together so you weren't too worried.

The clock had just struck 1pm when Eric walked into the front office, his blond ponytail tied into a disheveled bun, and his face was a stony mask of indeterminate emotion. You looked up from your spot near the CB radio, eyebrows arched as he approached the desk.

"H-hey (Y/N), can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked, sounding a little nervous. 

"Sure, I've got a moment." You said with a sigh, standing up from your spot and stretching, but making no attempt to get near him.  
"What's up?"

Eric gave you a funny, disbelieving look, like you'd grown a second head.

"What's up? Really? After what happened a couple days ago, that's all you've got to say?" He huffed.

"What do you expect me to say, Eric?" 

The man rolled his eyes, a look of disbelief plastered to his tanned face.

"I honestly don't know, but I seriously have to question your sanity after all that I saw."

"...The hell are you talking about, "My sanity?"  
Heaven help you, this conversation was going south fast and it hadn't even really started yet.

Eric tossed his head, rolling his eyes at you like a teenager.

"I'm talking about the fact that you're dating a being of...questionable motives, (Y/N)." Eric hissed.  
"You saw the way he threatened me when I was just talking to you! Just talking to you!"

Ok. That struck a huge, negative chord with you.

"Hold the phone here!" You snapped, throwing up your hand in his face.

"You weren't just 'talking' to me, dude, you were harassing me. You wouldn't stop bothering me about my love life, even after I asked you to drop it, and to top it all off you violated my personal space!"

Eric scoffed at you. "I violated your personal space? Since when is taking a friend by the hand a 'violation of personal space'? What, are you gonna go join the 'Me, Too' movement because I grabbed your fucking hand?" 

"When you're intimately rubbing my knuckles, and then refusing to let me go? When you're inches from my face? Yeah, I'd call that a violation, and for your information: that is vile, low, and despicable what you just said, and if you can't leave well enough alone and get it through your thick head that what you did was wrong, then you need to get out before I lose my temper!"

Eric pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I said that, (Y/N). I really am, I didn't mean to say that. I just got pissed off, but I didn't mean to say it, and that's not why I'm here."

"Get to your point, dude." Anger dripped from your voice. Eric pressed his palms together, like he was about to drop a huge "Boooooooy" moment on you, and a huge part of you wished you could be like Sans and shortcut your way out of the room.

"As someone who sees himself as your friend, I don't think you're safe dating a...monster. Now, I'm all for liberation and friendship with their kind, but dating one? They're dangerous, (Y/N). Just look at how your..."boyfriend" handled things with me! He could have politely asked me to fuck off, but instead he threatened me. You really think that's safe to be around?"

That unbelievable bastard! It took everything in you not to leap over the front desk and punch the mechanic in the face.

"Do you even hear yourself? Bloody hell! 'Their kind?' Sounds an awful lot like bigotry as opposed to concern coming out of your mouth right now!" Your voice was practically oozing with contempt.

Rage rushed through your bloodstream like a freight train, and the world around was quickly turning red, but you were still at work, still on the clock, and this was no place for a screaming match especially not with your boyfriend still going through his rut close by. You needed to end this quickly, you knew that, but like hell were you going to stand there and not defend your datemate. 

"And just to clue you in: Papyrus was protecting me from someone who was upsetting me; it's called being a good boyfriend! You can't sit there and honestly tell me that you wouldn't bare your teeth even a little if some guy was skeezing on your girl, invading her space, touching her, even when she tells him " No?" You hissed.

"I never took you for a bigot, Eric. A playboy, yes, but I'm shocked and disgusted to hear such bullshit come out of you. You should be ashamed of yourself. "

The mechanic stood there, dumbfounded, looking for all the world as if you had slapped him across his chiseled face. He let loose a huge breath of air, running his fingers over his hair as he did.

"I should be ashamed? What would Dan think of this? Of you? You ever think about that?" Eric looked you up and down, disgust in his eyes.

"You ever wonder what he might think of the little girl he helped raise, willingly putting herself in danger because of some weird monster kink she has?"

No way in hell was he about to get away with THAT!

"Uncle Dan would have been proud his kid wasn't a bigot. And don't you EVER speak his name again. That man fought racists his whole life, so don't you dare try to lump him into the anti monsters crowd. He'd be living and loving right along side them were he still alive, and you fucking know it!" You snapped, the thin veneer of civility you'd been holding onto shattered at the mention of your uncle, of your affections for Papyrus being labled as little more than a fetish.

"And another thing! Caring for someone different than yourself isn't a kink, you idiot! It's fucking love!" Your body shook with your indignation, with your unbridled fury.

"Fine. Whatever, (Y/N). It's your life. Risk it if you want to, but I'm warning you now: you're playing with fire, and people are going to get hurt." He said, sounding like the cliche hero from a poorly written cartoon. He turned on his heels, marching out the doors to the busses just as Nadia and Maxine got back into the office from their lunch.

You took a deep, steadying breath, trying to shake off your rage jitters before you plastered on a fake smile and greeted your Aunt and friend. The minute they were settled into the office, you booked it back to the concessions stand, the need to see Papyrus riding you hard as the strange, tingling thrum in your chest began to ache the longer you were away from him.

You pushed through the double doors, eyes quickly scanning to see if anyone else was eating at the tables only to see that the room was empty, save for the lone skeleton standing behind the counter, sockets looking at you with surprised delight. Without hesitation you bolted towards him as quickly as your legs could carry you, ducking past the counter until you were right in front of Papyrus.

You threw your arms around his ribs, burying your face in his polo shirt, and hugging him tightly as if your life depended on it. Instantly you felt yourself surrounded by his warm, boney embrace and a shakey sigh slipped past your lips. Papyrus seemed to take notice immediately that your demeanor was not normal.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, (Y/N)?" He asked, deeply concerned as he began stroking your hair soothingly. "WAS SOMEONE HURTING YOU? I SHALL BECOME THE GREAT-AND-TERRIFYING PAPYRUS IF ANYONE IS BOTHERING MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE!" He growled low is his proverbial throat.

You took a deep breath, inhaling through your nose long and slow, feeling your heartbeat calm down at his gentle touch, and chuckling weakly at his determination to protect you.

"It's fine, honey." You murmured into his chest. "I'm ok, now that I'm here with you."


	6. Sabotage, Subterfuge, & Super Heroes

"That looks like it's going to be one hell of a storm." Maxine murmured aloud as she watched the weather radar in the shop with grim eyes. You, Papyrus, Sans, Nadia, and five of your support staff all stood clustered behind the front desk next to your boss, staring on as a massive storm cell with a whole lot of red in it, slowly crawled across the TV screen in a direct path towards your tiny tourist town.

"how long d'ya think we have before it hits?" Sans asked to no one in particular, tucking his mitts into the relative safety of his hoody for comfort; he was NOT a fan of storms ever since he and his brother had, unfortunately, had to survive through a few in a tent before now.

"Judging by how slow this beast is moving? I give it a few hours tops, before we get totally gobsmacked." Nadia replied, managing to sound both nervous and irritated all at once.

"And we have renters we have to send out, and bring back before this giant arrives, or we're going to have to refund every customer, and we can't afford to do that." She added with a huff.

"Hang on a sec." You piped up from where you stood next to Papyrus.  
"The radar says it won't hit until around 4:37pm, and it's 8:10am right now. So, as long as we keep our eyes peeled and play it safe, we should be able to at least get our early bird renters out and back, and some of our other reservations before the storm even makes landfall."

A murmur of understanding rumbled through the others just as the phone rang. Nadia bolted into the back office to answer it as Maxine turned to face everyone, clasping her hands together audibly with a determined set to her wrinkled features.

"Alright crew, here's how this is going to go down: Since we are short staffed, many of you are going to have to double up on your roles today for any of this to work; I know this isn't the best scenario, but we've a good team, and I know we can make it through this with flying colors before stormzilla here hits us, so long as we work together."

Your aunt turned her gaze towards the two support staff members who generally loaded and unloaded vehicles.

"Zeke and Beckley: you two are going to keep running buggies as per your normal routine, however, I'm going to have you keep a walkie talkie on you at all times in case the weather sours faster than expected, or we need you in a different area to assist. On top of that, I also need you fellas to potentially help out with flag sales out by the garage. "

Both guys gave Maxine a salute before snagging a walkie off the back counter and booking it outside. You watched them as they laughed like kids running towards the buggies to prepare them for the first customers of the morning; storms like this never bothered them in the slightest, and the extra tasks, while bothersome, were nothing new to them.

"Carlos, Remi, and Katie?" Maxine called out, but only Carlos and Remi responded.  
"Where's Katie? Where is my other Dune Patroller? " Your aunt asked, causing all heads to look about for the absent woman. It was then that Nadia stepped out of the office, wearing a grumpy look as she trudged forward holding the phone in her hand.

"Katie isn't going to be in today, or ever again, apparently. That was her just now calling to say she quit. Refused to give me a reason other than she just couldn't handle things right now. Lame-assed excuse if I ever heard one." She grumbled, her frustration evident.

"Then we'll just have to make due." You said, stepping forward from under the shelter of your boyfriends side. "I'll take over Katie's job today. We need at least three DP out there at all times when we have guests, and given the size of our reservation list for today, we're going to need all hands on deck out there."

You felt your datemate give your hand a covert squeeze from behind your back. You looked up at him seeing a nervous, almost worried expression on his skull, but you gave him a (hopefully) reassuring smile. He gave a warm grin right back, but the concern never left his sockets. He was almost completely out of his rut, but the driving urge to protect you was still a lingering thing, and while he knew you were more than capable of handling the dunes, he still worried for you, even as he completely trusted your abilities.

Maxine grinned, giving you a firm pat on your shoulder.

"Atta girl!" She said with cheer. "Sans! Where's my Mister Fixit? Oh! You're right in front of me! Guess I need to fix my eyes!" She laughed at her own pun, looking over at your roommate with a motherly smile, and you noticed that a slight, blue blush kissed his cheekbones as he chuckled.

"I know I usually keep you, Nadia, and Eric in the garage for repairs and flag installations, but you have your CDL, and we need a secondary bus driver. Would you mind bussing for us today?" She asked, sweetly.

"m'on it." He grinned. "wheel keep this party bus goin' until the storm rolls our way."

"Ha ha! Excellent! Thank you my dear. Nadia is going to act as our secondary driver, and with the two of you working in tandem we shouldn't have any problems, Heavens willing." The old boss snickered, clearly loving the return-fire puns from Sans; Nadia and Sans gave each other an epic fist bump.

"Awwww yeah! We got this!" Nadia giggled (she and your roommate had become good friends ever since they found out that their favorite people were dating).

"Alright, where's Eric?" The room suddenly felt too crowded at hearing the mechanics name; you hadn't spoken to him in two weeks, and as far as you were concerned, you aimed to keep your contact with him to the barest possible minimum; you could not abide his company.

"He's out in the garage, boss." One of the support staff said.

"That's fine." Maxine chirped. "He can stay out there until we close out for the weather. Gotta have at least one mechanic handy."

Aunty Maxine turned towards your datemate, who stood with The Dude currently wrapped around his shoulders like a living scarf; darn cat seemed to absolutely adore both skeletons, but for some reason he favored Papyrus most out of the two brothers. Probably had something to do with the fact that your boyfriend was constantly slipping him treats when he thought no one was paying attention, or giving him extra pets and cuddles when The Dude demanded it. You thought with a giggle.

"That just leaves you, Papyrus. I'm going to keep you here in the shop and have you run the buggy board and radio while I do guest paperwork."

Papyrus looked confused for a moment.

"BUT, HUMAN MAXINE, WHO WILL RUN THE CONCESSIONS KITCHEN IF I AM TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE BOARD? " He asked, rubbing the back of his skull with his phalanges, cheekbones slightly flushed.

"For today, we won't bother opening up the stand. As it is, if customers want something to eat, we'll direct them to the Salty Carafe Cafe down the road; Heaven knows our neighbor could use the business." She said, and you could almost hear Papyrus's internalized 'HOORAY!'; there would be no greasy food today.

With that said Maxine dismissed everyone to get to their tasks, and they scurried away to their posts quick as could be. You caught Sans before he headed out to the busses.

"Hey mate, can you do me a favor? Would you be willing to pull my Defender out of the garage for me? I need to grab some gear out of the van before I get to it." It wasn't a total fib. You really did need to grab something out of your van, your rain parka, but you also didn't want to be anywhere near Eric as you knew it would just lead to another fight, and you weren't sure you'd be able to stop yourself from coming to verbal blows.

"sure thing, kid. i can kart that out for ya." Sans winked at you.

"Oh, ha ha, Sans! Is that all you're dune today? Buggy puns?" You teased back. Sans snickered, and you heard Papyrus groan behind you. When everyone had dispersed, you gave Papyrus a quick peck on his teeth, wishing him a good day before heading outside.

As you made your way out to your vehicle to grab your parka, feeling the heavy, salty-sweet wind tickle your face, you could have sworn that the world around you felt charged. You looked towards the sea, and the distant wall of black clouds looming over the choppy waves made your stomach knot up a little.

The sea is feisty and her weather unpredictable, so I better stay sharp. No telling what could happen. You thought to yourself. Still, you'd get through this just like everything else in your life: with steady persistence, and giving it your all.

With a deep sigh, you grabbed your worn, water-resistant parka out of your vehicle, throwing it over your shoulders before heading out back to ride Sans escort bus to the dunes with your Defender.  
~~~~

Papyrus had a bad feeling, like something was terribly off in the universe, but he could not give proof to justify the sinking sensation he felt deep in his bones. The second after you had given him a kiss before heading off to do your job, it had taken everything in him not to wrap his arms around you and beg you to stay put, but he had no words as to why. Something in his soul felt...unsettled, like it was waiting for some kind of unnamed, impending disaster to happen. 

Maybe it was just the fact that there was a huge storm coming, and though such weather never bothered the Great Papyrus like it did his brother, this was something of a different animal for him; storms off the sea of this caliber were new on his growing list of experiences. Then again, he was at the tail end of a mild rut while being separated from you by distance, so there was always that to consider as the cause of his anxiety. 

But the more he thought about it, the more his quick-thinking mind went over the feelings in his soul, he knew that it wasn't his rut but something more, something he couldn't name.

"(Y/N) ISN'T IN ANY DANGER." He admonished himself. "I'M JUST BEING SILLY, AND IF I WISH TO BE OF HELP TO MY DATEMATE, I CAN MAN THE RADIO AND DO A JOB WELL DONE RIGHT HERE IN THE OFFICE FOR HER."

And he did just that clear up until 12pm, until he heard the first growl of thunder, and the first real howl of wind buffet the building, and he felt his soul sink even further when he heard the radio crackle to life...  
~~~~

You cussed and fumed as your Defender dragged ass up Sunrise Drop, it's engine groaning from an unknown strain, but you managed to herd a few guests towards the entrance off the dunes since their rental time was up. The second you had those wayward buggies off, you headed back up into the hills, taking your turn as a lookout for the group still out there.

The winds had begun picking up, reaching you atop your perch on Sunrises highest crest in billowing gusts that pelted you with stinging sand and grit. Your eyes looked towards the wall of black clouds rolling in, and you realized that this beast was going to hit sooner than later. You looked at your watch, it read 12pm when the first thunderclap shook the heavens.

"Fuck me, this isn't going to be pretty." You groaned as you reached for your radio mic, squeezing the trigger.

"Dune patroller (Y/n) to base, do you copy?" The radio crackled for a moment before a familiar voice answered back.

"THIS IS THE GREAT PAPYRUS...I MEAN BASE! YES, BASE. DEFINITELY BASE." Papyrus exclaimed over the radio; if it weren't for the fact that a dangerous storm was minutes away from sweeping across the dunes, you would have been giggling like an idiot at his adorableness.

"Pretty sure you heard that clap-a-thunder, but I'm still going to give you guys a heads up: it's starting to look ugly out here, and I'm calling it. We need to get our people off the dunes pronto. By my estimate we've got," You quickly looked at your watch, noting the time.  
"Less than 6 minutes before this front crashes into us. What buggies are still out here?"

"ACCORDING TO THE BOARD THERE ARE....*KRRRSSSHHH*" Papyrus voice was cut off, the radio hissing like a spitting cat just as a bolt of lightning zigzagged menacingly across the sky.

"Shit!" You snapped. "Base, could you repeat that? We've got electrical interference out here. Base?"

"...BUGGIES ARE OUT ON THE DUNES. DO YOU COPY, (Y/N)? THERE *KRSSSSHHHH*..."

Suddenly the sky opened up, rain pouring down so hard, and so loud it was deafening. Your visibility dropped down to 10 feet in front of your Defender, thunder roared across the sky as lightning illuminated the black, roiling clouds over head and gale force winds swept over the Silver Lake dunes.

"Oh, this is bad." You squeaked. You were about to head towards the exit off the dunes when Remi pulled up alongside your Defender, her curly brown hair laying limp, and dripping from the rain, looking like a disheveled mess.

"Oy!" She shouted over the din. "Our radios are jammed, but I know for a fact that we had four buggies out here after the last group. Carlos told me he snagged two of them and got them down to Nadia. But we've got a problem: we're still missing two buggies."

"Fuck! Which direction were they last seen? We have to get them outta here, it's dangerous with the lightning and low visibility!" 

"I think I saw one headed south, towards Honeymoon Hill, and the last I saw the other it was headed north towards the buggy trap."  
Remi's voice cracked, straining to be heard.  
Inwardly you screamed in frustration. The buggy trap was a sandy bowl in the dunes that was filled with gravel, and it was a place that regular dune buggies easily got stuck in, always needing to be towed out by you or other dune patrollers. Needless to say, you had more experience than Remi navigating the gravel pit, which meant...

"I'll check the trap, while you head towards Honeymoon. At this point let's just grab the passengers and get the hell out of here before this gets any worse." You shouted over another roar of thunder. Remi visibly flinched.

"What about the buggies?"

"The passengers are priority, we'll snag the vehicles after the storm. Now get to it! We've got people to rescue!" Your voice was like Steel, brooking no argument.

You angled your Defender towards the northern edge of the dunes and the buggy trap, cursing under your breath as you could barely see anything in front of you, and the lightning was increasing in its intensity. You knew that you were risking life and limb, but that didn't matter in the heat of the moment.

As you neared the pit, sure as hell you found one of the lost buggies; a mother and her young, 8 year old son sat huddled in their tiny sand rail, cowering in fear.

"Hey! Hey, I'm here!" You shouted. The looks on their faces was one of fearful relief, and you were dead set on getting them safely off the dunes. They clambered into the front passenger seat, huddling together as you made your way as carefully, and as expeditiously as possible.

No sooner had you gotten them down to Nadias bus and the relative safety it offered, you were given more bad news. Nadia stood outside in her rain slicker, her face deep set with worry.

"Good thing you got these guys back, but we're still missing Remi." She said, her voice tinged with anxiety. You felt your stomach drop.

"What do you mean Remi isn't back? I see the last buggy came down, but she wasn't with them?" You gasped.

"They made it down by themselves, (Y/n). Remi is still out there. You know how good of a DP she is, but something might have happened, or she still thinks she's got people to locate. Either way she's not back, and the forecast says this shit is going to get worse."

Suddenly the thrumming in your chest started up, and you felt a power surge through you, filling you with determination; come hell or high water, you would find Remi, and you were going to get her home.

"I'm going back out there." You said succinctly, jumping into the drivers seat of your vehicle and revving the engine to life.

"Are you crazy? That's suicide!" Nadia cried, grabbing your arm in a feeble attempt to stop you.

"I'm not leaving Remi out there in this shit. Get on the bus and radio Sans, if you can get the damn thing to work. Regardless, send him out here in the small bus, tell him to bring the big med kit just in case. I'll be back in a flash!"

And like that you tore off like a bat out of hell, charging into the heart of the storm as rain drenched you, thunder snarled in a primal scream, and lightning danced like the devil in the black skies above.

Remi had been heading south towards Honeymoon Hill, so that's where you were going to start your search. You climbed up Challenge Mound, your poor Defenders wheel bearings squealing in the rain, laboring more than it should have been. Your eyes desperately scanned what you could see, but visibility was poor and getting worse.  
For a split second you thought you saw her vehicle dipping over Honeymoons crest, and you put your pedal to the metal to chase after her. But the second the engine engaged the wheels, something went terribly wrong.  
The Defender suddenly burst into a dangerous speed, before a sickening snap, like steel bars crunching under pressure, echoed out over the storm. Your vehicle pitched forward, and it was in that moment you knew you were fucked: the machine flipped, rolling down the face of the dune to lay in the valley below; you had not been wearing your seatbelt... 

Your vision tunneled for what felt like an eternity, the world tumbling and spinning at a pinpoint of light as if in slow motion, until it finally stopped and a bright flash of lightning spooked you out of your stooper. 

Agony radiated across your body in sickening waves, and the taste of blood began to fill your sand-coated mouth, spilling down the sides of your face from a myriad of cuts and scrapes. You gave an experimental, tentative wiggle to your body from wear you lay belly-down: nothing felt broken, but you were trapped, your legs from your waist down pinned beneath your wrecked Defenders roll cage. You were soaked to the bone, your body shivering from the rain and cruel winds, and a pained scream tore from your throat when you tried to pull yourself free, your fingers digging into the wet sand clawing feebly at it like a desperate animal. 

"HEEEEELLLLPPP!" You cried out, hoping to the heavens that Remi, anyone could hear you. In the distance you could hear other vehicles engines, most likely from some of the local vacationers tearing off of the dunes, escaping the harrowing storm for safety, and leaving you utterly alone.

You screamed again, "HEEEELLLLPPP!!!"  
But to no avail. Your voice, no matter how powerful, could not out do the fury of nature. You broke down sobbing, tears washing away in the downpour. You tried again, struggling to get out from under the wreck, but all you did was cause yourself more pain, and exhaustion was beginning to set in as your adrenaline was leeched away by the cold.

"Please! Somebody! Anybody! Help!" You whimpered. Thunder cracked over your head as a bolt of lightning struck the top of one of the dunes, and in that moment you were incredibly aware of your own mortality. Your soul, in a moment of anguish swelled, and instinctively you cast your eyes towards the sky and screamed for HIM, crying out his name like a prayer against the chaos that surrounded you.

"PAAAPYYYYRUUUUSSS!" You screamed, hot tears flowing from your eyes like rivers that cascaded down your sand-caked, bloody cheeks. Weighed down by the remnants of your Defender and feeling weak, you let your head rest upon your aching arms as your breath escaped you in ragged sobs.  
~~~~

It was as if the world had stopped turning for Papyrus as he stood next to the radio, suddenly stock still, his phalanges clutching the shirt over his sternum in a trembling grip when his brother had short cut into the room to grab the first aid kit there in the office.

One look at him and Sans knew that something was incredibly, soul-crushingly wrong.

"paps, talk to me bro. what is it? yer freakin' me out." He asked, waving his metacarpals in front of his sockets, but to no avail. Maxine stood just off to the side, her manor fretful, worried.

Sans shot his now lightless sockets towards her, and in an unnaturally calm voice asked, "what happened to him?"

Maxine shook her grizzled blonde head.  
"I-I don't know!" She stammered. "One minute he was fine and then the next....he just stopped moving! What's wrong with him? Is he alright?"

Sans looked back at his brother, fear creeping up his spine and in the deepest part of his soul, he had his suspicions as to what this was, though he was truly shocked to see it happen like this...

He grabbed hold of his brother's arms, giving them a shake, not enough to jar him, but enough to bring Papyrus back to his senses. At first his brother just stood there, until his boney features twisted into a grimace of horrible agony and a piercing wail escaped him, sounding like a siren over the storm.

"SANS!" He cried. "WE HAVE TO GET TO THE DUNES! NOW!!! PLEASE, BROTHER, I BEG OF  
YOU! IF WE DO NOT MAKE HASTE SHE'LL...  
TH-THE LIGHTNING! SO MUCH PAIN! SHE'S SO COLD, SANS! AND THE PRESSURE! IT CRUSHES MY BONES-HER BONES!"

"woah, woah, woah! calm down paps. what's goin' on? talk ta me bro." Sans soothed, gently patting his brothers back like he used to do when he was a baby bones. Almost immediately Papyrus energy level calmed enough for him to speak without babbling incoherently, but the stress of his tumultuous emotions never left his skull.

"I FELT HER, SANS! I FELT (Y/N). WE HAVE TO GET TO THE DUNES! MY DATEMATE IS IN GRAVE PERIL, AND I CAN FEEL HER IN MY SOUL, BROTHER! LIKE SHE'S IN MY ARMS, BUT NOT, AND I FELT HER...HER HP IS DIMINISHING. WE MUST MAKE HASTE!" Sans didn't need to think twice. He whipped his round head to Maxine, who stood with her hands clasped over her mouth, dread in her eyes.

"we're gonna need that first aid kit, and you're gonna call for help, maxine. tell'em we got a wounded human female, possibly two, and send'em here. paps and I are gonna go on a rescue mission."

The old woman scrambled into her office, snatching up the medical kit off of her office wall before dashing back out to Sans and Papyrus, thrusting the box into their boney mitts. Sans instantly grabbed hold of his brother who clutched the emergency kit to his chest like his life depended on it.

The older brother looked to Maxine, who asked in a voice trembling with confusion,

"B-but, shouldn't I have the EMT's sent to the dunes?"  
Sans cracked a humorless smile, and winked his lightless left eye.

"don't need to send'em that far when we can take a shortcut back." And like that the two brothers vanished, leaving behind a stunned Maxine.  
~~~

Nadia shrieked, startled out of her wits when she saw Sans and Papyrus appear out of thin air in front of her. 

"What in the absolute hell?!?" She yelped, backing into the side of the bus, arms splayed out behind her to keep her balance against the wet metal. Papyrus whipped around, pegging Nadia with an intense gaze.

"WHAT NEWS HAVE YOU?" His voice was clipped, almost harsh sounding as he fought to keep his anxiety and fear suppressed; he needed to stay calm for the sake of his datemate, but with every second that passed, he was finding it harder and harder to maintain the growing sense of urgency gnawing at his soul.

"Er...I..uh....news?" She stammered.  
Sans stepped forward, his eye lights narrowed and smaller than normal.

"yeah, news. do we know where our two missin' people are?" He asked, his voice steady and calm. Several pairs of eyes from inside the bus peeked out the rain-drenched windows, starring down at the two skeletons, and one particular set blinked in surprise before tearing out of the bus, headed right for the boys.

"Sans!" Remi cried as she bolted over to him and Papyrus.

"looks ta me like we're only missin' one person now." He said. "you made it back, but where's (y/n)?"

"That's just it, Sans! She never came back! She went up to look for me, but I had to take the entrance ramp off the dunes; there's a massive birch that's blocking the exit ramp. Last place she knew to go was up near Honeymoon Hill."

Papyrus blocked out the voices and the storm around him, closing his sockets and concentrating on his soul; some part of himself knew Sans was going to take notice, but he didn't care if he found out any more. You were far more important than this secret that he kept.

He listened, coaxing his own essence to reach out, to find that momentary connection again he just knew was you. Surprisingly it didn't take much at all, and he was simultaneously shocked/not shocked to see a brilliant, sparkling cord of purple that was slowly, effortlessly, entwining itself around his own being as if it were meant to be there; he was going to start a long-distance encounter, something only Boss Monsters could do.

His soul gave an experimental tug on your cord, instantly, and to his great relief, he felt a "???" from the other end. You were awake, and what was more, you were still conscious! With tempered strength he pulled again, this time initiating a full blown encounter, his right eye socket suddenly blazing to life. The world lost all but the barest hints of color, and the symbols he had seen long ago in the Underground appeared before The Great Papyrus like a holographic computer screen made of pure magic. With a swiftness that was too quick for even Sans to catch, he slammed his metacarpals into the square that had ACT, followed by your name, and a third set of buttons appeared: CHECK, TRACK and LOVE.

Immediately he touched CHECK, and a line of words appeared before him: (Y/N) IS TRAPPED UNDER A SABOTAGED BUGGY, TOTALLY FREAKING OUT. HP SLOWLY DIMINISHING.

Papyrus glowered; who would DARE sabotage his datemate? Whoever had done this would get JUSTICE brought down upon them when the time was right, but currently he needed to rescue you, and fast! He felt you, on the other end of the encounter, and his soul fluttered; You were able to interact with him from such a great distance as well! He felt your soul move, opting for CHECK, and wherever you were he hoped that the message you read was that your DATEMATE was on his way and to just hold on a little longer.

Without so much as a second glance, he hit the floating button marked TRACK the minute his turn was back, and the moment he did a bright, purple line appeared right in front of his chest leading off into the dunes, and at the end of it, you. 

"SANS!" He growled, his voice low and deadly serious. "GET ON MY BACK, BROTHER."

Sans was, to be quite Frank, too stunned by his little brother's sudden change (and sudden show of boss-like abilities) to do anything but obey Papyrus command, clambering onto his back still holding the med kit. Papyrus reached around grabbing hold of his brothers legs for a piggyback, before turning his burning gaze upon Nadia and Remi.

"DO NOT DAWDLE HERE ANY LONGER. GET THESE HUMANS BACK TO THE SHOP IMMEDIATELY; SANS AND I WILL BE BACK SHORTLY WITH (Y/N). GO NOW, QUICKLY! "  
He barked, sending Remi and Nadia skittering into the bus and on their way. The moment the two women were back on the bus, Papyrus took off into a dead run on to the dunes, following the soul trail as if this were an every day thing.

Papyrus ran across the sands like he was zipping across pavement, never once stumbling or breaking his incredible stride as he followed the bright purple trail into the dunes with Sans on his back. It hadn't taken him long to get to the top of Challenge Hill when suddenly the purple line he was tracking disappeared entirely. At first Papyrus began to panic, thinking that maybe you were either dusted, or damn near close to it, but a flash of lightning illuminated the world around him, and that's when he saw the wreckage below; the encounter was over because he had found you.

"oh, oh, no..." Came Sans voice from behind him; he, too had spotted the damage in the valley as thunder roared over their skulls, tauntingly.  
"please be ok, kid."

The tall skeleton loped down the sandy hillside with ease, though he felt dread weigh him down with every step the closer he got. The very second they reached the wrecked Defender, Sans and Papyrus saw you, your head resting against your arms, face burried in your sleeves to protect yourself from the wind, rain and sand, and half your body trapped beneath your vehicle.

Sans jumped off Papyrus back, the two men rushing to your side, skulls riddled with concern and upset.

"MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Papyrus voice pleaded, his hand coming to rest gently on your soaked back.

At first you thought you were hallucinating, since the strange things you had seen earlier had made no sense, but when you looked up to see both Papyrus and Sans looming over you, skulls wracked with worry...

"A-are you...r-real?" You groaned, barely able to lift up your head in the downpour without your eyes getting stung.  
"very real, kid."

"Sans, I c-can't feel my l-legs. They're going n-n-numb on m-me. Th-the pressure! Hurts so-so bad!" Your teeth chattered, your body freezing and in pain.

"we're gonna get'chu outta here (y/n), just hang in there." He soothed.

Sans looked at Papyrus.  
"we're gonna need to get this thing off as carefully as possible, bro."

Papyrus nodded. "A BONE ATTACK FROM BENEATH THE WRECK SHOULD WORK, BUT IT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE SLOWLY: HUMANS ARE FRAGILE, AND WE DO NOT WISH TO EXACERBATE ANY POSSIBLE INJURIES TO MY DATEMATE."  
He didn't need to mention that he also wanted to preserve what they could of the little Defender, to comb over later for potential evidence; your stats had said you'd been sabotaged, and the Great Papyrus was going to get to the bottom of this in order to protect you, and bring the culprit to justice.

"right. on the count'a three." Both skeletons took up a position next to either side of your head, their bodies blocking some of the storm just enough to give you momentary relief as they placed their boney palms into the sand.

"one..."

"TWO..."

"three..."

The sounds of metal groaning could be heard overhead through the howling winds and cracking thunder. You knew the second the Defender was off of your body as the sharp, tingling sensation of feeling began to flood the lower half of your numb body in excruciating waves, the roll cage no longer pinning you down.  
With the last strength you could muster, you dragged your wretched-feeling body out from the nightmare that you'd been trapped under, sparring a glance over your shoulder to see a set of blue and orange bones protruding out of the sand and literally holding the broken vehicle up as if it were nothing.

Papyrus and Sans released their summoned bones the very second your body was safely out of danger, and immediately rushed to your side; it took Papyrus all of two seconds to scoop you up bridal-style into his arms, clutching you to his sternum. You vaguely heard him yell something to his brother...

"...NOTHING BROKEN, BUT SHE WILL NEED MORE HEALING THAN THAT PITIFUL KIT CAN PROVIDE."

"hold her tight, bro. m'gonna shortcut us back."

"Papyrus..." Your voice came out as little more than a rasping wheeze, but you knew your boyfriend had heard you as you felt him lower his head to your face.

"Y-you're my h-hero. B-both of y-you..."

The last thing you remember was the feeling of a pair of teeth gently pressing into your soaked hair, and then the world was suddenly silent.

~~~~

Papyrus would not allow you to walk, instead insisting that he carry you all the way up to the door of your shared home like a princess from a Disney film (had you not been dead tired, you would have cracked a joke to lighten the mood). He had been like that ever since you'd left the hospital, refusing to put you down until you were safely buckled into the back seat of your own van (Sans had driven you all home, Papyrus occasionally barking orders like a backseat driver for his brother to drive more carefully), and even then he fussed.

Sans opened the door to the house, stepping aside just enough so his brother, with you in his incredibly strong arms, could carry you in as if your chubby form weighed no more than a feather.

"Paps, please honey, I can walk by myself. You don't need to do all this." Papyrus snorted softly as he deposited you on the couch as gently as if you were made of spun glass, being extra careful of your bandaged areas.

"I KNOW YOU CAN, MY BEAUTIFUL (Y/N), BUT AFTER TODAY'S HARROWING EVENTS, YOU WILL HAVE TO FORGIVE YOUR DATEMATE FOR BEING OVERPROTECTIVE AND CLINGY. YOU FRIGHTENED ME TODAY." He said, his voice unusually soft.

Inwardly you felt your heart just melt, and you reached out with a bandaged hand to clasp his phalanges in your own, just as Sans plopped down next to you, albeit gingerly, so as not to jostle you, but still mere inches from your side.

You couldn't blame Papyrus and Sans for being extra careful with you. Had your roles been reversed, you knew you'd have acted the same way.  
You were damn lucky. Having walked away from a terrible accident in the middle of one of the worst early summer storms to roll in off the sea with naught but cuts, scrapes, and a couple of bone bruises; had it been Papyrus, or hell even Sans, and you knew you'd have been a frantic mess.

"I'm sorry honey. If I'd have known that this was going to happen today, I would have told Aunty Maxine to close us out for the day, renters be damned."

Papyrus gently reached down and stroked your face, before declaring that he was going to make dinner, and that you were to rest.

The rest of the evening went peacefully enough. Papyrus had made dinosaur oatmeal for everyone, stating that oatmeal was good for healing bones, and warming you up from your time out in the dunes and in the hospital, and while you knew it was a comfort food for Papyrus, niether you nor Sans complained in the slightest; it was hot, it was filling, and given the circumstances it hit the spot.

As it drew closer to bed time, you hit the shower, even as your boyfriend fussed that you should be taking it easy (which sounded foreign coming from him), but you managed to calm him down enough (with Sans help, of course) to let you go bathe, and you took a long time in the bathroom to just soak.

The hot water felt like heaven as it poured over your aching body, washing away dried blood that had been missed at the hospital, and soothing some of the pain from your ordeal away as you sat in the bottom of the tub, letting the heat just take you.

After the water began to turn cool, you hopped out, drying your injuries as gently as you could before putting on your pajamas and brushing out your hair. When you were satisfied that you were well groomed, you opened the bathroom door to find a fretful looking skeleton fidgeting from one foot to the other in front of you, wearing his favorite red tshirt and orange boxer bed clothes.

"Papyrus, what are you doing?" You asked, somewhat bemused. 

"I WISH TO ASK YOU SOMETHING." He said, sounding to your ears as being both nervous, and a touch shy. Papyrus, shy? You thought to yourself. Now there was a bizarre concept. He was never shy about anything. Straightforward and polite was his way, so this was all together curious in your book.

"Shoot." You said, nonchalantly. He turned his skull off to the side, unable to meet your gaze, his phalanges rubbing the sides of his arm bones.

"I WOULD LIKE IT VERY MUCH IF...IF...YOU WOULD SHARE MY BED WITH ME." His skull turned bright pink, and you were fairly certain that even with your bruises, you were going full tomato.

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" He added hastily, hands flying up in front of himself.

"I JUST...I WANT...I DON'T WANT TO BE WITHOUT YOU. ALL I ASK, AND IT'S ONLY IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, IS THAT YOU STAY WITH ME TONIGHT. THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL NOT IMPUNE YOUR HONOR, I SWEAR IT!"

Your eyes widened, understanding dawning on you.

"Paps, do you want to cuddle?" You asked, softly.

The only reply you got from him was a vigorous nod from his rosy head. You chuckled a little, knowing exactly what your sweetheart of a boyfriend was really trying to ask. Papyrus had been truly shaken by what happened to you, it was no wonder he wanted to sleep with you in the same bed; he needed the comfort of his datemate near him, to know that she was safe and sound and there, and you knew you'd want the same thing if the tables were turned.

"Let me just get my pillow from my room and I will meet you by your door." You said, reaching up to cup the side of his skull lovingly. Papyrus pressed a toothy kiss into your palm, his shoulders visibly sagging with relief at your answer.

"THANK YOU." He murmured.

Took you all of 30 seconds to go upstairs, snag your pillow off your bed, and head back down to Papyrus room. You hadn't really seen the inside of his room since he had moved in, only catching glimpses here or there when he came in or out; his door was always closed, and you were not one to pry into someone's private space unless invited, so this was going to be interesting to see what changes he had made.

He welcomed you in, door swinging open and he bowed to you in the most genteel manner, and your eyes practically gawked at how his room looked. It was still the same color walls of creamy orange with seashell border around the ceiling, but Papyrus had truly made the space his own. 

His desk was neat and clean, with a set of action figures on display next to a set of old, worn books (one of them had a bunny on the cover). A well-loved, weathered backpack hung upon the desk chair, his closet door closed with a map of the Silver Lake dunes tacked neatly to it (you had given him that on your second picnic date). It was a little spartan, and you promised yourself that when you were both up to it, you were going to take him out shopping to decorate his room, him and Sans.

The only thing that stuck out as odd was the fact that the old tent he and his brother used to share, was being used as a canopy for his very clean-pressed bed with his nightstand and lamp making it feel like it was an actual camp; it was rather neat, actually.  
His bed had only one pillow, and laying in its center was a very old, worn looking rabbit plush, which when your boyfriend caught you eyeballing it, hastily grabbed it and went to throw it into his closet before you stopped him.

"Paps, it's ok. I still have my stuffed Pikachu from when I was little. He still stays on my bed, too."

Papyrus relaxed, a grateful smile on his skull. 

"THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR DOING THIS..." He began, but was rendered silent when you placed a finger over his mouth.

"Don't thank me, honey. You're my boyfriend and I (love) adore you, and to be quite honest: if you hadn't asked me to stay with you, I would have asked you to stay with me. After what happened today, I don't think I could sleep by myself, either." You admitted earnestly.

A long sigh escaped his nose hole, and a warm, loving look stole over his handsome features. He pulled back the crisp covers on his bed, crawling in and getting comfortable before patting the empty space next to him. Your heart began to race, your neck and face suddenly feeling warm as you climbed into the covers next to him, settling yourself down and snuggling into his boney side.

With great care of your injuries, he tucked you both in, rolling onto his side facing you, wrapping one arm snuggly around you, the other tucking under his own pillow. He nuzzled your hair, taking a deep, long breath before switching off the lamp next to you both and settling down.

Papyrus didn't have a heartbeat, nor did he 'breathe' the same way you did, but before too long there came the quiet, rhythmic snores of one asleep, and it made you inwardly laugh. You took a deep, long yawn, feeling the stress of the days happenings finally hit you like a freight train and you knew you weren't far off from conking out. 

The last thing you remember before sleep overtook you, was how nice your boyfriend smelled, and truth be told it was the first time you'd actually caught his scent: like cedar trees in the summer rain, and you nuzzled closer to his sternum, soaking up his scent as you dozed off. Your soul thrummed softly, happy to be close to its other half.


	7. A Fish And A Lizard Walk Into A Buggy Shop...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update guys. Needed to take a self care break, but I'm back in the saddle! Hope you like this newest chapter.
> 
> ❤❤❤

For the last five days since the accident you had been sleeping in bed with Papyrus, and he was more than happy to have you, his most precious datemate, safe and sound in his arms every night. It was of great comfort to him to feel you cuddled into his embrace, your breathing steady and sweet, delighting in the feel of you pressed against his length and close to his core; he found it soothing to his troubled soul to have you like that, and he had a lot to be troubled over given the recent events.

Papyrus was hot on the trail of your saboteurs tracks, or so he felt. With the help of his brother, they had discovered the reason your Defender had met with such a terrible accident, and it was a sobering thought to The Great Papyrus to know that there was someone out there attempting to harm his datemate.

About the second night while you had slept peacefully, safely tucked under his covers, Papyrus and Sans had returned to the dunes under the cover of darkness with the hope of finding clues, and right off the bat they found one.

"look here." Sans had pointed his borrowed mag light at the belly of the Defender that was now facing skyward, his boney digit touching just before the snapped strut. Several straight, deep gouges could be seen leading into the breakage, and a sinking feeling came over both skeletons.

"these marks are man made, intentional. hate to be a negative nancy, but it looks ta me like someone's out ta get our girl, paps. just look at the striations on this: deep set in one location, but kinda wobbly; this was obviously done in a hurry. question is, who'd wanna hurt someone so bad they'd go outta their way to sabotage their ride, an' how the hell did they slip passed those of us in the garage in order to do it?" Sans looked up into his brother's sockets, his features grim set.

"IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE TO HOBBLE THE SHOPS TENUOUS POSITION HERE. BOTH HUMAN MAXINE AND (Y/N) HAVE MENTIONED A FEW TIMES TO US THAT THEY HAVE A RIVAL....FELLOW BY THE NAME OF UNRESTRAINED WYATT?"

"ya mean wild wayne up the road?" Sans arched a brow bone.

"YES. HIM." Papyrus said emphatically. Sans tilted his skull in thought.

"could be an outside job, yeah, but i gotta admit: it seems a little far fetched. wayne's never made a move, or spoken against the shop, at least not that i've ever heard since us bein' here. seems ta me like the old coot has little to no interest in the buggy shop. "

"HMMM...THAT MAY BE SO, BROTHER, BUT IT COULD BE A FRONT TO APPEAR INNOCENT. THEN AGAIN THIS COULD BE CLOSER TO HOME." Papyrus suddenly shuddered at the thought. "I DO NOT LIKE THIS, SANS."

"niether do i, bro. niether do i, but we can't rule out the possibilities. know of anyone who's got a grudge against (y/n) back at the shop?" Sans asked as he stood up from the wreck, pulling out his old, modified flip phone and snapping a picture of the tampered strut.

"I HAVE AN IDEA, BUT IT REQUIRES INVESTIGATION IN AS QUIET A MANNER AS POSSIBLE, BROTHER. I DO NOT WISH TO ALARM MY DATEMATE, BUT NIETHER DO I WISH TO ALERT THE ONE POSSIBLY RESPONSIBLE THAT WE ARE ON TO THEIR NEFARIOUS PLOTS. WE WILL JUST HAVE TO MAKE CERTAIN NO HARM BEFALLS HER, OR ANY OF OUR OTHER HUMAN FRIENDS." Papyrus voice held an imperious note as he thumped a balled fist to his chest like a conquering hero.

And that was when Sans had said something that gave Papyrus pause.

"you got it, boss." Was all he said. It was so simple a statement, and yet it held such a weight of upset for Papyrus; he realized that Sans knew what he was, and that he was waiting for him to address the very big elephant between them in his coy, sidestepping way.

He sighed, deeply.

"SANS, WE NEED TO HAVE A...DISCUSSION..." He began tentatively. "I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE ME FOR THE THINGS I'M ABOUT TO SAY, BROTHER..."  
~~~~

"...and to top that all off, we have two new interviews coming in today. (Y/n), are you listening to me?" Maxine's voice cut into your daydream, and you had to mentally slap yourself back to reality, a slight blush darkening your cheeks.

"Y-yeah, I'm listening. Interviews. Today. Got it."

You were a little distracted, to say the least. Papyrus had been teasing you about a surprise he had for you for the last two days, and it was driving you crazy not knowing what it was. You asked him for a hint, a clue as to what this "STUPENDOUS, AWESOME, AMAZING, SUPER COOL" thing was supposed to be, but your boyfriend was exceptionally 'tight-lipped', instead opting to rib you mercilessly about the knowledge he was privy too, that you weren't. Not to mention, the sheer amount of flirting that he had been doing with you had you more flustered than a virgin in a porn shop; your mind danced with visions of naughtiness and wonderment as to what he might be planning.

Maxine rolled her eyes.

"Goodness girl! You look like a lovesick puppy! I take it things are going well between you and that handsome fella of yours?" Maxine arched her blond eyebrows. The involuntary blushing of your cheeks was maddening, and your aunt let out a hearty laugh, patting your shoulder good naturedly as she did.

"Hey, if it's that good, keep at it! Though it makes me wonder: how does that work...?" She teased, not actually wanting an answer (which you clearly didn't have at that moment) instead opting to see how red she could turn your face.

"W-we haven't...i-it's not...we haven't done THAT yet!" Sputtering and tripping over your words only had your Aunt laughing harder!

"Oh, relax girl! I was like that when I was your age! Your Uncle Dan and I couldn't keep our hands off each other. Your mother used to tease us that we were practically rabbits. "

Oh...oh my god. WHY?!? WHY WAS THIS HAPPENING? 

"Can we just...not talk about my sex life, or lack thereof? Because it's definitely NOT happening right now...AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE I...(WE?) DON'T WANT TO!"

Maxine gave you a pat on the back, chuckling deviously before turning to her desk, and the myriad towers of paperwork neatly stacked and ready to be filed away, her teasing stowed for the moment.

"I have GOT to get this cleaned up before our interviewers come in, but I am seriously lacking the gumption to do so..." She shot you a pleading look, suddenly changing gears.

Ah, yes. You knew THAT face. Truth be told, you wanted a reason to step out of the office to get some air, and hopefully cool yourself down.

You sighed.

"What do you want from the Salty Carafe?" You asked, surrender heavy in your voice.

"Oh, goody! I want my usual!" Maxine said gleefully as she ducked over to her purse, reaching into it's depths to pull out 30 dollars.

"You get yourself something, too. Consider it my apology for teasing you so much, and remember: tip extra to the kids running the counter." She grinned, stuffing the cash in your hands before scooting you out the door. 

You shrugged your shoulders, taking it as a stroke of good fortune you could get out, stretch your legs and cool your jets. You booked it towards the cafe the minute you stepped outside, inhaling deeply the fresh, warm air of summer.

With as flustered as your adopted Aunt had made you, she had raised a very good point/question: how WOULD you and Papyrus fool around, if such a thing were possible? Your feelings for him were growing by leaps and bounds everyday, and there was no doubt how attracted to him physically you were (which you had to laugh at yourself for). 

According to Papyrus, he found you to be absolutely gorgeous, he LOVED your chubby curves, and the handsome bonehead had kissed you quite passionately quite a few times, but it always felt like he was holding back for some reason. Maybe he was just as confused as you, and didn't know how to talk to you about it? How exactly were you going to (tactfully) ask your boyfriend to become, if even possible, your lover?

Then again, while YOU might have felt ready for it, he might not be and that was a sobering thought. At some point though, the two of you were going to have to sit down and have The Talk. If you were going to be a good datemate to him, you needed to know what he was comfortable with, and where his boundaries lay as far as physical intimacy. You did NOT want him to feel pressured, but you did want him to know if the interest was there for him, you were ready to broach that topic, or give him more time if he needed it and he had your full support either way.

Swept up in the chaos of your very heated thoughts, you had failed to notice, upon entering the Salty Carafe Cafe, the person standing (more like fretting) by the order counter; you bumped right into them, stumbling over enough to knock your glasses askew, but you caught your balance, clutching onto the nearest thing to steady you.

A startled squeak and the feeling of something very solid and warm beneath your palms brought your train of naughty thoughts to a grinding halt. You came too, looking down to see a monster, shorter than you, cringing beneath your shocked gaze with their cheeks a deep crimson-orange as you clasped their shoulders.

Bright yellow scales the color of sunflower petals in the summer sun glinted in your eyes, as she stood cowering in your grasp in a pretty pink skirt and soft cream blouse. Her petite, clawed hands clutched her kitten purse close to her little chest, her eyes closed tight behind the cutest pair of coke-bottle glasses you had ever seen.

"I am so terribly sorry! " You blurted out, reflexively raising your hands in mock surrender and off the poor monster so fast you were certain you had channeled the Flash for a split second. "I was lost in thought and I didn't see you there. Are you ok, miss?"

The little lizard monster cracked open an eye, peering up at you from behind her spectacles with a nervous smile.

"Y-you're not going to y-yell at me?" Her voice was soft, shy and tinged with a little fear.  
You felt your heart weep in your breast. Who would yell at this adorable cream puff?

"Absolutely not. I bumped into you like a total goober. If anything, you should be yelling at me." You laughed a little, feeling awkward as you adjusted your glasses.

"O-oh I would never yell at anybody, and you're ok, t-too. I run into stuff so much, my wife thinks I need to be wrapped in a blanket all the time." She giggled nervously, a clawed hand clasping a crimson cheek. You chuckled along with this adorable monster, glad that she was so nice to you even though you literally blundered right into her.

"Again, I really am sorry about this. I should have been paying attention to where I was going. My name is (Y/n). What's yours? " You cheerfully extended your hand, which the lizard monster took gently in her incredibly warm mit, shaking it with the barest hint of movement; it was as if she was afraid to move around too much.

"M-my name is Alphys. Nice to m-meet you, (Y/n)." She smiled back, albeit bashfully. Why did that name sound familiar? 

"Nice to meet you, Alphys." You felt yourself genuinely smile. "So, whatcha getting today? I highly recommend the Salty Carafe Special iced, if you're a fan of chocolate."

"W-well, I was just about to r-ring the bell for service when you bumped into me, and I LOVE c-chocolate!" She said, tilting her head a touch as she looked at the counter.

"Ring the bell...? Huh. There's usually always someone back behind the counter." You mused. You knew the owners of the Salty Carafe since you were 5 years old, just like you knew almost everyone in Silver Lake as it was so small; so when you told Alphys to hang on a sec, it was so you could duck behind the counter to see where either they, or their staff were knowing full well you wouldn't get in trouble.

You walked passed a myriad of sugary syrup bottles, coffee pots full with their earthy brews, and pastry bags just waiting to be stuffed, pushing passed the double doors into the kitchen area with enough gusto you knew would make Papyrus proud; his shining confidence was rubbing off on you, much like you wished other things...

COOL IT! This is no time to be thinking like a horny teenager! 

You marched right into the employee room where you found a familiar face sulking in one of the chairs.

Ramon Dently sat hunched over his phone, staring forlornly at his messenger app, and sighing like he was annoyed with life, ear buds in his head; typical teenager. You reached out and tapped him politely on the shoulder, causing the youth to jump so hard it made the dark curls on his head bounce.

"WHAT THE HELL?!?" He yelped, whipping around to face you as he tore his head phones out of his head. Relief instantly came over his face the minute he caught site of you, though he still looked flustered.

"H-hi Miss (Y/n)! What are you doing back here?" He asked hastily, standing up to give you a big hug. You couldn't believe how tall he'd gotten; You used to babysit him and his twin sister when they were little until they were too old to be babysat (quite a few years ago), but both kids still had a special place in your heart. Last you knew, he and his sister were in college, so to see his face here must have meant he'd come home for summer break to work.

"Looking for an employee, Ramon. Are you the only person here? There's no one up front."  
The young man ducked his head, shame-faced, color darkening his adorable cheeks.

"I, uh...yeah. I am the only person here right now as Simone went to pick up our coffee bean order. I, um, I don't want to go out there when there are monsters." His voice sounded guilty, almost sheepish.

"Ramon Alexander Dently! I did NOT just hear that come out of your mouth! I know your mama didn't raise you to talk like that!" You admonished, scolding the young fellow until he looked a like his tail was firmly tucked between his legs.

"I know, I know...it's just...well...I...Eric told me to stay away from them, ya know? He said they're dangerous." Ramon grimaced. You felt your left eye twitch in time with your rising heart rate, and it took a concentrated effort not to blow your top; Ramon was a good kid who was given bad, and horribly racist info from a giant prick who took advantage of his naivete and fear.

"Oh, really? And when was it that he told you?" You asked, voice strained.

"Uh...a couple of weeks ago, I think?" He scratched at his head in thought. 

So, possibly around the time the two of you had a falling out over Papyrus. Fucking great. You weren't about to let that bigot get to you, and you sure as hell weren't going to let him get to Ramon...  
~~~~~~

Alphys practically skipped next to you as you both walked over to the Buggy Shop, delighted to have made two new human friends. The two of you had gotten more of a chance to talk as Ramon, who apologized for his...disappearance earlier, made your bevy of drinks. After having explained certain...details to him in regards to Eric (not everything, mind you), the kid had felt terrible, and he found that, once he came out to really meet Alphys, that Eric was dead wrong. She rather enjoyed the curious youth's shy questions that he threw your guys's way as you chatted, and he quickly found himself with his very first monster friend.

You made a mental note to yourself that you were either going to have to square up with Eric about what he told Ramon, or report him to Maxine. Heaven help you, if he was telling an impressionable kid like Ramon anti monster crap, who knew what he was telling everyone else? You couldn't let that stand! He was endangering your loved ones with such bullshit, as well as putting all of your livelihoods in jeopardy.  
***  
As you walked across the road, enjoying your iced coffee, you learned that your newly made friend was a huge, adorable geek.  
Alphys, who had once been the Royal Scientist for King Asgore, was there to get herself and her lovely wife, the infamous Undyne, a job. Big city life just didn't suite them, and she no longer wanted to work as a scientist, though she still loved math, she told you. There just really wasn't any place to stretch their proverbial legs or to really grow, and with both of them having spent most of their lives under a mountain, the wide open country life by the sea appealed to them; start over fresh, you know?

The two of them were there to interview at the Shop, Undyne had gone first leaving her wife a free moment to get a treat from the cafe; in the back of your mind you realized that THIS must have been the surprise your boyfriend was planning to spring on you, but fate, unfortunately, had other ideas; sorry Paps.  
Still, you had yet to meet Undyne, and from the way Alphys carried on about her (Papyrus was guilty of doing the same) she sounded like the sweetest peach on the planet. 

When you walked into the Buggy Shop together, however, you received the shock of your life when you realized "Sweetest peach" was the most inappropriate description for a badass woman like Undyne.

"...And there she is now!" Came the loud, boisterous voice of an incredibly intimidating (fish?) woman just as you set Maxine's drink on the counter. You're fairly certain that you felt the concrete tiled floor shake beneath your feet as a giant, 6'6 blue and red blur zoomed toward you and Alphys, leaving behind your amused aunt who stood by the front desk grinning; SOMEbody was having fun.

You managed to keep yourself from squealing like a terrified mouse as Alphys was scooped up from next to you in the blink of an eye, the woosh of air at her sudden absence next to you had goosebumps on your skin instantly.

"There's my adorable wife!" The woman boomed. No sooner had she scooped up Alphys in a bone-crushing hug, she gently plopped her back down next to herself and shot you the biggest, sidelong gaze you had ever witnessed.

"Babe, who's the punk?" 

Punk? Wow. Says the chick in the denim rocker jacket and black leather skirt.

"Oh, this is my..."  
"Uh-um, Undyne, this is..." 

Maxine and Alphys began at the same time, only to be cut off effectively by the VERY sudden appearance of your beloved bonehead.

"UNDYNE! ALPHYS! OH, MY DEAREST FRIENDS! YOU MADE IT HERE! AND LOOK! YOU'VE MET MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE! " Papyrus burst into the room, throwing open the double doors leading into the snack shack with more than his usual panache, and in a few short strides had you swept up in his arms much like Undyne had done to Alphys. You went from a flood of relief at seeing him, to utterly dumbfounded by his actions; he was usually very discreet about his affections with you at work, waiting until there was just the two of you before he would act upon his feelings...

He nuzzled into your cheek noisily, planting the biggest, toothiest kiss there as he did. You immediately turned red, and you couldn't help but notice the...how else could you put it, but "competitive" look that Undyne was suddenly shooting Papyrus.

The moment he set you back on your feet, you were gently spun around to face the other two monsters, Papyrus large carpals hugging your shoulders firmly.

"SEE UNDYNE? I TOLD SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING." Papyrus bragged, and you could physically feel him puffing out his chest.

Cue instant blush!

You hadn't really been properly introduced, so you extended a hand, doing your best to smile and not freak out; this woman looked like she could easily snap you in half if given the need.

You swallowed down your uneasiness. This was your boyfriend's BFF after all, and it was important to make a good first impression.

"H-hi! I'm (Y/n), I'm Papyrus' girlfriend. I've heard so much about you, Miss Undyne. It's nice to finally meet you." You inwardly grimaced. Damn, that sounded cringey.

A single, brilliant yellow eye brazenly looked you up and down, glinting like a polished citrine gem in the light, her other eye covered by an inky black patch. She gave a toss of her flame-red hair over her shoulder, revealing her delicate, finned ears, and the brilliant coral stripes that marked the sides of her face.

"Tell me something punk: do you like anime?" You slowly dropped your hand. Her voice sounded almost silky, but the dark undertones that had poured from behind her shark teeth made you inwardly shudder. You felt in your core that your answer would set the foundation for whatever relationship you were going to have with you datemate's best friend: she could make, or break you. Literally.

Great. No pressure...

"Yeah, I like anime." You said, and you meant it. You really liked anime, you just weren't obsessed with it...

"That's FREAKING AWESOME!"  
...Like Undyne and her wife apparently were.  
Undyne's expression changed so fast you were instantly reminded of your boyfriend. She went from looking like she was going to eat you alive, to the most enthusiastic, adorable weeb in less time than it took for you to blink; Alphys was practically beaming.

"PLEASE tell me you've heard of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie?" She immediately leaned down to your eye level, her lone eye practically shimmering, and you noticed the excited, hopeful look in her wife's eyes, and something in your brain clicked.

Oh, holy shit...

Mew Mew Kissy Cutie had come out around the same time as Sailormoon, hitting every magical girl trope under the sun, with an extra dose of cheesiness thrown in for shits and giggles. As a kid who'd loved, absolutely ADORED Princess Usagi and her crazy, star-crossed romance with Prince Endymion and all it's sugar-packed, fluffy goodness, even YOU couldn't handle the overload of saccharine-coated sparkle party that was Mew Mew. You usually caught the tail-end of it as you were eagerly waiting to watch Sailormoon instead.

"Well, yeah. I grew up watching it." Wasn't a total lie...

Alphys and Undyne squealed in unison, their delight clear.  
"We are SO doing an anime night! Though, Papyrus might want to hang out with his brother when we do it; the weeny doesn't care for Japanese animation." The blue fish-woman teased, winking at you.

Boy, she sure was mercurial...

Papyrus suddenly stamped his foot nearly making you jump out of your skin, sweeping you up in his arms like a child no longer wishing to share a favorite toy, and hugging you close.

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS FOUND ANIMES HE LIKES! MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE HAS INTRODUCED BOTH MYSELF, AND MY LAZY BONES BROTHER TO SOMETHING CALLED GHIBLI." He said with a haughty toss of his skull.

You heard your Aunt stifle a snort from behind the desk, and you swore you could hear her wheezing as she tried to beat down her bemused laughter; you looked ridiculous the way Papyrus was holding you.

"Wait...seriously? YOU got Papyrus to like anime?" Undynes perfectly-shaped, brilliant brows shot up. Even Alphys looked in awe of you for like, 2.5 seconds.

"SOME ANIME, NOT ALL." Papyrus protested, though any more denial died on his "lips" as his best friends burst into a fit of laughter; Even you had to stifle a chuckle.

"I ship you and your datemate, Papyrus! If she can get you to watch anime and like it, she's fine by me! Fuhuhuhuhuhu!" She tittered gleefully, her waifu giggling beside her, both of them blushing.

Undyne. Tittered. 

The giant, terrifying, could-easily-end-you-in-one-hit, blue mer-monster fucking tittered like a villainess from a Japanese cartoon. Not only that, she openly admitted to LIKING you, AND she shipped you and Papyrus. 

You're not quite sure, but you think your brain might have died there for a moment before you broke into a series of giggles yourself. As intense as she was, you realized that you actually enjoyed the amount of passion she gave off; Undyne was fun.

"Well then! Ya know what this means? We'll celebrate our being here with a marathon party! Kinda like a 'Woo! Job! Yay!' thing!" Her voice boomed, almost deafening you, and it took a great deal of restraint to not clap your hands over your ears, not that you really could what with the way Papyrus was holding you.

Undyne suddenly became very serious, her demeanor becoming...thoughtful, almost apprehensive. She turned her piercing gaze on your aunt, who now looked perplexed at the monster lady's sudden change in attitude, and asked,

"That is, unless I didn't make the cut?"

Dead silence. You could have heard a cricket sneeze with just how quiet it got all of a sudden.

"My dear, Ms. Undyne," Your Aunt began, and you felt yourself go still; she NEVER sounded that serious before, with the exception of disciplining an employee, or worse yet: you.  
The feeling of cold sweat began to ice over you, and inwardly your guts clenched.

PLEASE tell me Aunt Maxine is joking...

"Don't you remember, sweety? You signed your paperwork in my office. You're my new Dune Patroller." It took everyone a second to digest that before Undyne gave out an ecstatic whoop, scooping up her wife in a bear hug, before shaking Maxine's hand quite vigorously.

Just as Maxine began leading Alphys into the back office for her turn, something out of the corner of your eye caught your attention. Eric was standing outside the side entrance to the Shop, his features warped with disgust as he witnessed the antics of your new friends and new coworker. The minute your Aunt had disappeared with Undynes wife for her interview, he ducked away, most likely headed back to the garage, or wherever else he'd decided to slink off to.

Let him fuck off, You thought with spite. You had a wonderful boyfriend, his awesome bro, and two new friends to celebrate with today...speaking of Sans...

You hadn't seen him since earlier that morning when he, weirdly enough, was heading out of the house at 7am unprompted (completely unheard of) to do some...things...vague things. Hopefully Eric wasn't giving him any trouble today. While notoriously lazy, Sans always made sure to put in a good days work, and if he was doing extra (just the tiniest bit) to avoid confrontation, which, let's face it, was a total Sans thing to do, then something was up and it worried you; you would for sure shoot him a text when you had a free moment.

"...AND I PICKED US OUT A GREAT SPOT, TOO. THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL WOW YOU ALL WITH HIS ASTOUNDING CULINARY PICNIC SKILLS!"

Papyrus voice suddenly cut into your thoughts. His excitement snapping you from the worried train your brain was riding on, and you cast a beaming smile up at his handsome skull.

"I TOLD YOU, MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE, THAT I HAD A SURPRISE FOR YOU." He chuckled as he finally released his hold on you, gently turning you to face him.

"NOW, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING: MY DATEMATES SURPRISE WAS MEETING MY VERY BEST FRIEND, BUT IT'S NOT. THE GREAT AND WONDERFUL PAPYRUS HAS PLANNED A SPECIAL SWIMMING PICNIC DINNER FOR US TONIGHT BY THE SEA WITH UNDYNE AND ALPHYS, AND OF COURSE MY LAZY BROTHER! AREN'T I SO CLEVER?" 

You could pretty much guess what a "Swimming picnic dinner" entailed, and the warm, bubbly sensation that suddenly radiated from your chest blossomed, spreading all over your body until it felt as if you had been dipped in a vat of warm fuzzies at how sweet of a man Papyrus really was.

"You really are, Paps. You're the best datemate in the whole world, and I'm a lucky woman." You said, inwardly laughing as your boyfriend preened under your praises.  
~~~~~~~

It had been decided that the lot of you, once the shop had closed at 4pm, would hit up the local thrift shop to help Undyne and Alphys pick out some beach wear; living in the city had not given them the opportunity to swim, and even with public pools available there, Undyne absolutely refused to swim in them, therefore no call for swimsuits in their book.

"The sheer amount of chlorine in them is gross!" She admitted earnestly while you made your way to the second hand store.  
"I can't stand the smell. I don't know how you humans put up with it."

"Honestly Undyne, I know it's used as a health and safety thing for public swimming pools, but I can't bring myself to dip a toe in them either; I'm lucky enough to have grown up by the sea. I'll take salt water any day!" You said over your shoulder as you entered the store.

The thrift store, while being a little on the small side, had plenty to choose from as far as apparel went, and you found yourself rummaging through a rack of shirts as Undyne, Alphys, and even Papyrus shopped around for swimsuits and other eye catching things.

"LOOK DARLING! I FOUND THE COOLEST SWIM SUIT TOP FOR YOU!" Papyrus voice came from behind you, filled with excitement.

"But, Papyrus, I already have a..." You stopped midsentence as you turned around, eyes taking in the...unusual number that your boyfriend was holding, and that was really the only way TO describe the piece.

Held up daintily by both hands was a pleather dominatrix bodice a shade of red so bright, it was almost blinding. Your eyes went so wide you thought they might pop, and heat flushed across your entire body in a millisecond, and it took every ounce of your will not to let out a nervous laugh.

"Uuuuuh....honey, that's uh....that's not a swim suit..." You knew the shop was relatively cool in temperature, but DAMN was it hot under your collar just then. The skeleton monster tilted his head, a questioning look on his mug.

"OH? WHAT EXACTLY IS IT, IF NOT SWIM WEAR?" He asked innocently enough. You couldn't lie to your boyfriend, but the truth was very embarrassing to say aloud...

Fuck it, you thought. If Papyrus can be straight forward, so can I.

"C'mere a second babe..." You reached up and, ever so carefully, pulled his skull down as close to your face as possible. You cupped a hand near his tympanic bone, and whispered to him EXACTLY what the outfit was, and what it was used for. By the time you were done, his entire head was dark pink, and there was a set of googly eyes popping out of his head.

"W-WELL, THIS IS DEFINITELY N-NOT FOR SWIMMING!" He stammered, before a naughty grin took over his face. He was still leaning down towards you, his head so close to your own that you could feel the warmth radiating off his bones.

"THOUGH I MUST SAY, YOU'D STILL LOOK LIKE A VISION IN IT, MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE."

Boooooooooy was he one smooth operator! 

"Hey weenies! Check out this cute two piece I found for my wifey!" Undyne practically shouted, suddenly breaking you and Papyrus out of your...flirtatious haze.

"OH, GOODY! WHAT DID YOU FIND?" Papyrus gave you a quick, almost imperceptible peck on the cheek before dashing off to see just what his BFF was up to; you could hear poor Alphys stuttering and stammering her protests.

As you turned to head their way, a splash of color caught your eye on the rack you'd turned towards. Blues, greens and pinks in a loud display of Hawaiian floral patterns screamed at you from between two sweaters, and as you pulled it out you laughed. It was an XXL Hawaiian button-up shirt alright, but what made it even better was the bowling pun on the back. In bold, italic lettering over a set of bowling pins wearing shades was the slogan "Pin-Head".

It practically shrieked Sans name, and it was then you knew what you had to do. Pure serendipity that there was an exact copy of the shirt, only this one was a small; you were buying both: one for Sans, and one for your sweety.

That evening you guys met up with Sans at the beach for your picnic dinner. He, again, was vague about what he did for the day, saying it was awful busy, and he just wanted to chill out and forget about it. Fair enough, you thought. So, you didn't press him any further on it; you understood those kinds of days.

Sans adored the shirt you gave him however, and the fact that it had a bowling pun on the back? Priceless! Even Papyrus, while not crazy about the logo, was tickled that you had gotten him a gift as well, and he did like the fact that it was a matching gift with his bro.

"WITH ME WEARING ONE, YOU'LL LOOK TWICE AS COOL, BROTHER! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus cackled from his spot next to you on your picnic blanket.

"...heheheh... you punned, paps!" Sans chuckled from wear he lay next to the picnic basket, happily wearing his new shirt with pride.

"I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT! NO SUCH THING SLIPPED PASSED THESE MANDIBLES!"

"...i'll throw ya a bone, paps. you did not pun. your jokes are far more humerus than mine and twice as cool."

"SANS! (Y/N) HELP ME STOP HIM! HIS PUNS ARE TERRIBLE!" Papyrus shot you an imploring face, complete with puppy dog eyes, but you just couldn't stop yourself...

"I'll do my best honey, but tibia honest, I'm a bit of a numb skull. Not sure I'll be able to handle this shin dig."

Sans wheezed hard, and your poor boyfriend let loose a desperate wail of,

"NOOOOOOOO! NOT YOU, TOO!"

"holy shit! hahahahahaha! a triple threat! she pulled a triple threat! I'm dyin' here!" He snorted, pounding the sand with his fist.

Undyne and Alphys snickered behind their gourmets sandwiches, trying their absolute best not to laugh but failing miserably. 

"Fuhuhuhu! Same old Sans and Papyrus!" She tittered.

"A-and now we have a new friend, too!" Alphys chimed in. Her wife gave her peck on her yellow snout, a grin on her blue lips, still snickering.

"That we do, babe." Suddenly, she whipped her gaze towards you and pegged you with her yellow eye, her expression serious.

"You just make sure not to break his heart, you got me punk?"

"OH, UNDYNE. I DON'T THINK..." You gently shushed Papyrus with a gentle squeeze of his carpals, and instantly he went silent, looking down at you with blushing cheek bones, but graciously giving you the proverbial floor to speak up on your own behalf.

You grinned, meeting his gaze.

"Wouldn't dream of it." You said, still looking at him. "He's my sweetheart, my datemate, and my darling..." You paused for a moment, trying not to crack, but your giggly mischievous nature was getting the better of you; Papyrus looked practically dreamy.

In the light of the setting sun, surrounded by the beautiful beach, your new friends, and feeling like your chest was buzzing right out of your breast in delight, you hit him with the mother of all puns for a skeleton datemate.

"Bonefriend."

Shock. Pure shock registered on his mug.

His brow bones shot so high, and in the background you could hear Sans lose it. Before Papyrus could even react you grabbed hold of his face and pulled him in for a deep kiss. At first he was stiff, but the heat from your soft lips soon revived him, and he kissed you right back, even going so far as to nip your lip to gently punish you; you didn't know he had THAT in him.

"Wooooooo! Go Papyrus!" Undyne cheered, raising her fist in the air as her wife clapped her hands over her glasses, blushing furiously.

"...pfffft! bonefriend! *SNORT* freakin' bonefriend!!! paps, your girlfriend is too hip! *SNRK*"

"SANS!!!"

What a wonderful way to end the day...


	8. The Legend of Papyrus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long Chapter is Long.

You stood back and surveyed your handiwork; the living room looked fantastic, and tonight was going to be excellent! Papyrus had seemed a little lack luster the last few days, his buoyant exuberance and boundless optimism less than it usually was and this worried you; he’d seemed fine since the beach a week ago, but something in your soul felt that he was just a touch unhappy.

It wasn't a huge change, mind you, but it was enough of a noticeable shift from his normal attitude that you felt it warranted some extra TLC for your sweetheart; this was your shot to be an awesome datemate and cheer him up, and maybe talk to him about certain…feelings you were kicking about…like a bucket…a sexy bucket (these naughty thoughts were getting progressively worse with each passing day. What was wrong with you?).

You'd known just what to do to cheer him up, and get your mind out of the gutter! This was for Papyrus, after all; if “The Talk” happened, it happened, if not? Then you’d still have one perked up, handsome, sweetie of a skeleton to look forward to.

Win-win, no?

Twinkling Christmas lights in the shades of blue and green hung from the ceiling casting the room in a mystical glow (or at the very least, that's what you were aiming for).

The couch was covered in soft, brown and green fuzzy blankets making it look like a fallen lumpy, mess (your attempt at a fallen tree) but it suited your needs just fine for your evening plans.

The coffee table was decked out with a forest themed spread of veggie and fruit trays for snacks, and to drink? Koolaid in red, green, and blue bottles that looked like potions.

The bean bag chair you had laboriously lugged up from the basement looked very much akin to a LikeLike creature from the older Zelda games, so you set it up as both a prop and a place to sit (5 rupees said Sans would DEFINITELY claim it like the adorable slug he was).

You had thrown a green sheet over Uncle Dan's old lazy boy and had left a cow and chicken plushy you had found at the thrift store sitting together on it; a tribute to Lon Lon Ranch (and those goddamn, annoying-ass cuckoos) that made your inner nerd proud; you thankfully had the AC blasting to keep away the summer heat, what with all the blankets everywhere.

You had even gone as far as digging into your Christmas ornaments, pulling out the all-blue and pink orbs that you had, pasting white wings to them and hanging them from the green and blue lights on the ceiling to look like fairies.

And the piece you were most proud of? The crown jewel of your master plan? The pristine little purple game cube that sat ready and waiting to be played; four silver controllers connected to it with your games sitting next to them, their very obvious Zelda theme on full display.

You couldn't wait for everyone to get back from picking up your list of goodies, including pizza! You could barely contain the excitement you had for tonight's main event: introducing Papyrus, with the help of Undyne, Alphys, and Sans, to Twilight Princess and Majora’s Mask (you’d already introduced him to Ocarina of Time, having let him borrow your 3DS) and The Four Swords Adventures!  
~~~

You heard their voices, loud, boisterous, and laughing long before they reached the door to the house, and you felt a grin tugging the corners of your mouth; you just knew this night was going to be awesome, and with tomorrow being your collective day off? Perfect for staying up late and sleeping in...that is if you could get away with it...

A quick glance in one of the living room mirrors revealed a cute, but sliiiiiightly disheveled you. Your hair was a touch messy, and your plump cheeks had a slight sheen of perspiration coating them, but you otherwise looked fine.

Good enough, you supposed as you wiped your face quickly on your short sleeves; Not like you could run off and clean up when your boyfriend and your friends were literally right outside the house.

"wow, kid! this looks really good. paps is gonna hyup and flip when he sees this! way to link it all together. i likelike whatcha did."

"EEEEP!"

You damn near jumped out of your skin. Sans had teleported behind you, two things of pop in his arms, proudly wearing his new bowling shirt, and a shit-eating grin on his mug; fluidly dropping puns like the two of you were carrying on a casual conversation and not you getting totally dunked on by the sneaky gremlin.

“Sans, you are SUCH a brat!” You laughed, speedily shaking off your jitters.  
“You sword you weren’t going to jump scare me like that any more! I ought-ta deku for that, ya scrub!”

His only reply was a hearty wheeze, his snickering chortle filling the room with his amusement as the others came waltzing through the front door.  
~~~~

Papyrus was excited, to say the least. He knew you'd been up to something the last two days as you were terrible at hiding your childlike glee from him (which he absolutely adored about you) and with the cute hints you'd been dropping him, well...didn't take a genius like him very long to figure you out.

He did not, however, know what exactly you were going to surprise him with, so when he was literally dragged away from your side by his brother and his two besties, immediately after getting out of work today to keep him busy and away from the house, he could easily say he was just a touch antsy to rejoin you and see what you'd been planning for him.

Undyne and Alphys ran him all over town with his brother napping in their car, grabbing snacks from the market for later, checking out manga from the local library, with their last stop being the local pizza joint to grab everyone's dinner; Papyrus was NOT a fan of greasy foods, but with the way Sans had punned him into submission, and with the way you had been dying to have him try your favorite pizza place...well...he caved.

Needless to say, he felt a little lighter in his soul as he strode up the driveway (3 and a half hours later) towards the place he called Home and the one person who made him feel as if he was more than just “The Great Papyrus”. With pizza boxes safely in his hands, Undyne lugged her and Alphys snack bags behind the tall skeleton gushing about the latest anime they were binge-reading; Sans had kidnapped the two sodas, most likely having short cut into the house, the lazy bones. 

Truth be told, after everything that had gone down the last few weeks with you his datemate, and especially between him and Sans, his soul wanted, no, NEEDED a pick me up.  
His conversation in regard to his secret status, to say the least wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either. It left him feeling unsettled, and off balance, and while he knew his big brother both loved and accepted him, he was terribly nervous about what YOU might think; being a boss monster was a HUGE deal, and one that could possibly get him and anyone else with the knowledge of what he was into serious trouble if the wrong people found out about it…

Would you be afraid of him?

He wanted to keep it to himself, but he just HAD to tell his brother; it felt awful to keep trying to pretend like nothing was wrong, and he wasn’t hiding things from the person who loved him most…other than you, of course.  
And when Sans had dropped that word on him, calling him ‘boss’ in that tone of voice of his, he knew that the feline was released from the sack; Sans was giving him a chance to talk, and he knew that even if he had decided not to, it wouldn’t have changed a thing; His brother was the epitome of patience, but a conversation would have to happen eventually, regardless.

"SANS, I HAVE BEEN KEEPING SOMETHING FROM YOU, OF WHICH I KNOW YOU HAVE GROWN SUSPICIOUS OF AS OF RECENT. IT IS MY GREATEST HOPE THAT YOU CAN FORGIVE YOUR LITTLE BROTHER, BUT...I AM JUST GOING TO HAVE TO COME OUT WITH IT: I, AM A BOSS MONSTER." His voice never wavered as they had stood over the wreckage of your Defender that second night after your accident, his magic completely recalled. Strong and full of conviction he was, if somewhat a little dramatic, but inside his soul, his bones were rattling.

"THAT'S HOW I TRACKED (Y/N), HOW I COULD SO EFFORTLESSLY REACH OUT TO HER IN HER TIME OF NEED...IT WAS A SERIOUS MODE TO BE IN." He took a moment to gather his wits, and he noticed how Sans patiently listened, quietly waited for Papyrus to continue, making no comment about his appearance, and the taller skeleton felt a depth of gratitude he'd never felt before towards his elder sibling.

"YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING HOW LONG THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS HAD THIS KNOWLEDGE...I...I'VE KNOWN SINCE FRISK FIRST CAME TO SNOWDIN, FROM OUR VERY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THEM, AND I AM MUCH AGGRIEVED THAT I AM ONLY JUST NOW TELLING YOU. PLEASE, SANS, FORGIVE YOUR FOOLISH YOUNGER BROTHER; PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT I COULD NOT PUT YOU, OR MYSELF IN DANGER WITH THE LAW."

Sans expression never changed, he still wore that lazy grin of his while his eye lights glowed back at him softly in the rainy darkness. He'd shuffled his sandaled feet, tucking his hands behind his skull, and shrugging his shoulders like this was just an ordinary, everyday conversation. 

"i kinda figured there was somethin' different about ya paps, ever since you were a baby bones." Sans voice sounded relaxed, like his normal, lazybones self, with no hint of upset at all.  
“don’t really matter to me whatcha are, though, or what ya look like. you’re still my cool little bro.”

Papyrus was stunned. Of all the things he’d expected to hear his brother say, he hadn’t expected THAT. He thought for sure Sans would have admonished him, even just a little, for keeping such important information secret. The human government would have him imprisoned for failing to register as a boss monster along with anyone else who knew and willingly kept it quiet, and his brother didn’t bat a socket at finding out he, the Great Papyrus, was one!

“THAT’S IT? THAT’S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT…THIS?” He waved his phalanges through the air with a hammy flourish, gesturing at himself, his other fist planted firmly in his hip.

“tibia honest bro, i ain’t gonna rib you on this; you had your reasons why you wanted to keep this shin-dig to yourself. yeah, i’m a little shocked, but so what? you’re still you, and that’s all that matters. besides, on the very off chance your cover is boned, all we’d have ta say is that this was a…recent development. humans don’t know how magic manifests, so we could easily pass it off as you bein’ a late bloomer, though, heh…to tell the tooth, i don’t really think ya need to worry about it; i don’t think they’re going to make it an issue.” Sans then looked thoughtful for a moment. 

“however, and keep this in yer skull there: how serious are you about (y/n)? at some point, you’re going to have to talk to her about this...”

“SANS! THIS IS NO TIME FOR PUNS! BUT…I…I…I KNOW WHAT I MUST DO. I MUST MAKE THINGS RIGHT BY (Y/N), JUST AS I DID RIGHT BY YOU…AND I’LL DO IT…SOON! THE GREAT PAPYRUS GREATLY APPRECIATES YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. I…LOVE YOU, BIG BROTHER.” 

“i love you, too, paps. no bones about it.”

Just how serious was Papyrus about you? Ever since that night Sans had asked him, he’d realized he’d been keeping his true feelings for you somewhat repressed. Monster relationships took on a whole new spin when you added human souls to the mix, and with the way yours was rapidly entwining with his, at a rate that he should have found alarming? 

Well, he knew that talking about WHAT he was with you was important, especially since the nature of your bonding was going to be with a Boss Monster, and there would be implications on any possible future he desperately hoped to share with you.

Maybe tonight after everyone left he could try talking to you? 

“Hurry up Papyrus!” Undyne’s voice cut into his train of thought as he made his way up into the house carrying everyone’s dinner. He would just have to wait and see how the evening played out, and hope to the stars and back that, come what may, The Great Papyrus would have the Bravery necessary to talk to you.

The moment he stepped into the living room, he went through a cavalcade of emotions as his sockets took in the decor of the place, almost dropping the pizzas in his awe; the whole room looked like something out of his current favorite Zelda game, the one you’d let him borrow with the ocarina. 

“Surprise!” You chirped happily up at him from where you stood, your beautiful smile beaming up at him. With as little effort as it took to grin back, Papyrus shifted the pizza boxes easily into one of his big hands, his now free arm snagging you around your waist, pulling you flush against his body and completely oblivious to the havoc he was wreaking on you.

“IS THIS ALL FOR ME?” He asked, a slight wobble in his voice as his star-filled sockets gazed down at you, his cheekbones kissed with pink, and all of his previous worries tabled, for the moment.

“Of course it’s for you, bonehead!” Came Undynes tittering laugh from the kitchen. “Who else would (Y/n) deck the house out for? Asgore? Fufufufu!”

Papyrus face instantly looked chagrined, his teeth bowed in a flat frown as his brow bones pinched together; you weren’t certain, but you thought you might have seen his left socket twitch as his skull turned bright red, but before you could investigate further, Papyrus face switched back to it’s cheerful expression (only light pink this time) as he leaned down and pressed a toothy kiss to your forehead. 

“THIS IS TRULY WONDERFUL, MY BEAUTIFUL ONE. I WOULD EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS’S DATEMATE.” 

Your cheeks flushed in an instant at his praise.

“Well, there’s more to it than just the decorations, Papyrus. Let’s get the pizza’s in the kitchen and I’ll show you what I got set up for you.” You said with a giggle as you lead him, arm still wrapped around your waist, to dole out dinner.

“cheese louise, it feels like i been waitin’ forever to get a slice. gonna pop a ton in muh bellyyyyyy…make a leanin’ tower-a-pizza on my plate…” Sans punned as he carried the two liters close behind the two of you. 

Papyrus snorted in exasperation, but you knew that above you his face was cracking just the barest hint of a smile.

“SANS! OLIVE THESE PUNS ARE GOING TO RUIN MY ALREADY TENUOUS APPETITE IF YOU DO NOT QUIT IT!” Came his quick retort, and you heard Sans giggle-snort, almost dropping his cargo in the hall.

This was going to be fun!

Didn’t take long for everyone to grab their food and get settled in, and you mentally gave yourself a high five; Sans had indeed took up a spot on the bean bag chair, his coccyx slowly being devoured the longer he sat. Undyne and Alphys had taken up their favorite spots: the adorable lizard monster sat up on one end of the couch lounging against an arm, Undyne sitting on the floor with her controller, her broad, cerulean shoulders sandwiched between her wife’s dummy-thick thighs. 

Every now and then you saw out of the corner of your eyes one of Alphys clawed hands reach up and absentmindedly comb through Undynes luxurious, fire-red hair, a contented sigh escaping from her nostrils as she stroked the silken strands; her free mitt holding her pizza slice, and occasionally taking a bite.

How cuuuute! You thought inwardly, though unbeknownst to you, that same couple was thinking the same of you and Papyrus. Even Sans, who was happily lazing about on his claimed bean bag, on occasion would shoot you guys a half-socketed look, grinning to himself at the sight of his brother and you being blissfully unaware of how adorable you both were in your own right.

Your boyfriend hadn’t given you a choice in seating, having plunked you down between his thigh bones, comfortably in his lap, having you lean against his broad ribcage as if he were your own personal chair. His arms were wrapped around your buxom body, controller in hand while he rested his jaw on the top of your head (he’d already inhaled his pizza before you’d even made your way back to the living room, claiming that if he was going to eat such unhealthy cuts of grease, it would be on his terms), every so often unconsciously nuzzling your soft hair; you swore you could hear him purr a little every time he did it.  
He didn’t even seem to mind the slight movement your head made as you attempted to eat your pizza, his skull slightly bobbing along with the rhythmic motion of your chewing. Papyrus just seemed completely at ease with this seating arrangement, and carried on as if this were an every day thing for you both.

He was so adorkable, and while you couldn’t help feel just a teensy bit nervous about how things were going to go tonight (you really were going to at least ATTEMPT to talk to him about certain things), the blossoming warmth that bubbled up in your soul at his nearness overshadowed all other feelings… 

The game he had decided to play first was Four Swords, something that everyone could play together for the first little while of Zelda immersion.

“Dibs on red Link!” Undyne barked as the loading screen came up.

“THEN AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS, I SHALL PLAY THE ORANGE LINK…IS THERE AN ORANGE ONE?”

After going through several levels in Four Swords, every so often sharing the controller with Papyrus so that you both could play, it was decided to change games.  
Paps had wanted to try out Majoras Mask, opting to pass the controller between himself and Undyne since everyone else would have rather relaxed and watched the hilarious antics between them; they spent the better part of ten minutes arguing over what to name their shared character. Papyrus wanted Link to keep his original name, but Undyne found the little punk to be, well, little and had wanted the world to know about it.

A vote was taken, with three hands raised against two, and Link was thusly renamed “Shorty”.

Sans was a most excellent peanut gallery during the whole debacle, leaving you and Alphys in tears. With “Shorty” finally named, and Paps and Undyne calmed down enough to play, the hi-jinx commenced.

~~~  
“Oh, COME ON! I totally had Majora by his tentacles! This wouldn’t have happened if that little punk, Skullkid and his weird buddies hadn’t stolen my stuff to begin with! That brat! And he took my horse! WHO TAKES HORSES?!?!”  
Undyne growled, tossing the game cube controller onto the floor next to her feet in a huff, barely avoiding an empty “potion” bottle that sat near them.

You winced.

“Easy on the controller, Undyne…that things practically an antique at this point.” You half-laughed, half cringed. 

“And yes, Skullkid is a little brat. He’s supposed to be; he’s an imp. Besides, you missed a good portion of the extra masks I told you about that would have lead up to the Fierce Deity one; now THAT would have spanked him for sure. And you did eventually get Epona back…”

“WITH MY HELP OF COURSE. NO PONY PILFERER IS A MATCH FOR MY BRILLIANCE!” Papyrus chimed in, his chest puffed out with pride.

“That’s my baby!” You grinned back at him from over your shoulder. “Putting the punch-down on pony pilfering.” His only response was to lean down, pressing his teeth to your cheek meat, and giving a big, noisy kiss, complete with raspberries (how the hell did he do that without lips?), making you squeal with laughter.

Undyne, snickering at the silly display of the skeletons affection, muttered a quick apology as she passed it back to Papyrus, who eagerly took up Shorty’s mantel once again.

“YES! MY TURN! PREPARE THYSELF, YOU MASKED MALADY! THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL NOT FALL TO A SMIRKING MOON! NYEH HEH HEH!” He chortled, ready to get back into the swing of things.  
It was then that the fish woman and her wife began to ask you questions about some of the things that had been missed, which then lead to them asking about why they were important…and down the rabbit hole you went, showing off your inner nerd like the lit beacons of Gondor.

You went back and forth with her and Alphys, discussing aspects of the story for the better part of an hour while your funny bones took his time going back to the areas you had mentioned, with Alphys pointing out things that even your keen eye had missed; it really made you happy to see the girls so invested in something that wasn’t all smash-and-bash, or Mew-Mew Kissy-Cutie (Not that you had anything against the anime, bu-u-ut…too much of a good thing and all that, and it was nice to talk about something that you knew wasn’t bound to give you cavities).

“Waaiiit…wait, wait. Lemme get this straight: You’re telling me this whole thing that we just went through, was about Shorty accepting his own death? What about the monsters he took the form of? Or the Boss monster with Skullkid?” Undyne asked, arching a brilliant red brow.  
“What part did they represent in all this?”

“I mean…yeah, it’s about the grieving process?” It took you a moment to mull over the proper response, tripping over the boat load of theories you’d had packed away in your head since you were a kid.

“Here’s how I see it, and keep in mind this is my own, personal head canon, so cut me a little slack: Link…er…Shorty, is going through the grieving process. The different monsters, as you see them, are really the parts of himself that he has to accept, each one holding both a positive and negative piece to his own puzzle. By accepting them, they help him come to terms with his sudden and very tragic death; he can let go of the negative attachments that held his soul captive so that he can go be reincarnated for the next Legend of Zelda story.” 

You sat up a little, Papyrus arms still wrapped around your middle, and you became acutely aware of just how intensely he was listening to you; he had yet to make a peep during the whole exchange, and while he was continuing his time playing, it was half-hearted at best (poor Shorty was becoming well acquainted with running along a wall in Clock Town), and you could tell that you had his rapt attention.

“Huh. Now that you mention it, I can kinda see that.” She replied with a toss of her head.  
“But that still doesn’t answer how that weeny, Skullkid, or that crazy mask thing fits into all of this.”

Your hand flew up, index finger pointed skyward, looking like Sherlock Holmes having a moment of genius.

“Aha! That’s the best part! They represent Shorty, and of the situation as a whole. Shorty IS the boss creature, metaphorically speaking. His emotional turmoil about everything he’s gone through in regards to his demise is represented by the moon crashing down. Termina represents everything familiar he’s now forced to leave behind; he can’t grow as a person and move on if he doesn’t face his darkest fears. By having Skullkid reconcile with his friends, that represents acceptance, finally being able to let go, and realizing that we are never truly alone; there’s always a force in the universe that loves us no matter what, and that wants us to keep going even when we feel stuck.”

Undynes good eye looked you over before she openly laughed, and Alphys stared at you in shocked awe.

“Th-that is a m-most impressive buh-breakdown on the emotional c-complexities of a video game ch-character I think I’ve ever h-heard.” The littler woman blushed from behind her mate.

“Damn! And here I thought the wife and I were nerdy. You’re like a super nerd! Fufufufuff!” She tittered, squeezing the lizards plump thigh and making her flush even harder.

“Pffft! Whachu talkin’ bout ‘super nerd’? I am THE nerd, at least when it comes to Zelda related things.” Girlish giggles and unladylike snerks filled the air as you and Papyrus BFF’s bonded even more over your apparent level of geekdom; you couldn’t see it, but behind you your boyfriend had the biggest, puppy dog grin on his mug.

The muscles in your jaw suddenly began to ache, and milliseconds  
later a big, deep yawn cracked your face.

You glanced at the time as you did, suddenly noting the lateness of the hour; you guys had been going at video games for over five and half hours not including the in-depth discussion about the emotional onion-layer-mess that was Majora’s Mask, and the clock on the wall was reading ‘bed time’. Sans had already excused himself to bed a couple hours ago, and from the looks of things Alphys, who was currently fighting off her own yawn, was ready to call it a night as well.

“W-well, I think it’s t-time we head home, d-don’t you think, Dyney?”

Undyne stretched out her limbs, a groan slipping out between her sharp teeth before she inhaled, long and deep through her slitted nostrils; she stopped midway and shot Papyrus and you an amused smirk.

“Yeah, guess us dorks better head on out, and leave you weenies to your saccharine schtick.” She grunted as she stood up, offering her hand to her wife to help her up off the couch.

Saccharine schtick…? What more had you done that was considered syrupy, or overly affectionate? You mentally shrugged, chocking it up to Undyne just being Undyne.

After rounding up of their stuff and some quick good byes, Alphys and Undyne were on their way home, leaving the two of you alone together.

Nervous butterflies began to take wing in your stomach. You’d been doing great all night, managing to avoid thinking about your big question, and you knew you needed something to help take the edge off before you attempted to ask Papyrus about…monster lovemaking.

Ugh! Why did thinking about such a thing make you feel like a 17-year-old virgin again? You were a grown-assed woman for crying out loud! This kind of thing shouldn’t be intimidating at all by this point in your life, especially when you had the sweetest, most understanding and supportive boyfriend in the universe. It was just plain silly!

So, in order to quell your agitated nerves you began to clean up the coffee table that held your snacks, trying all the while to hide your heated face from the monster man who was the source of your coloring cheeks; the second you had started cleaning, Papyrus had jumped right in to help out.

Didn’t take you long to get the place tidied up between the two of you, and since you had opted to leave the decorations up, there was literally nothing left to do but get ready for bed once all was said and done.

And yet the two of you sat next to each other, having both found yourselves drawn back to that space on the couch, a gentle silence floating between you both, which was kind of odd given how things with Sir Exuberance there typically went.

The very air felt pregnant with unspoken words.

Well, you thought as your heart began to pick up it’s pace. Better get it out before you lose your nerve.  
Deep breaths, me, I can do this!

“MY DARLING, I…”  
“Hey Papyrus…” 

You both laughed, looking away feeling somewhat bashful.

“YOU GO AHEAD, (Y/N). YOU ARE, AFTER ALL, A LADY.” Papyrus stated gallantly. 

“You sure, Paps? I can wait, it’s…um…it’s not that important for me to go first.” 

Sweet mother of pearl! Why did your insides feel like jelly all of a sudden?!?

Papyrus smiled, and it warmed the sockets of his face, though you noticed that he was suddenly slouching just a tad. Papyrus almost never slouched, well, except maybe when he was pouting, but this felt…different somehow, like a combination of sad and worried, maybe even a little scared, and though it was just a slight deviation in how he sat, your Soul had immediately sensed the sudden shift in him. 

“Honey, is something wrong? What’s up?” Concern coloring your tone. You instantly reached out, taking his warm, smooth digits and gently clasping them in your own.

“I MUST BE THE LUCKIEST SKELETON ALIVE, TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL, THOUGHTFUL DATEMATE AS YOU, (Y/N).” He said weakly, his head suddenly downcast.

That immediately had your hackles up in alarm.

“Heeeey, heeey, baby what’s wrong? What’s going on with you, huh? Did you not like the party tonight? It wasn’t too much, was it?” You couldn’t help but fret, reaching out with your free hand to cup the side of his skull; even though the sane part of your brain knew better, knew that he had on some level liked it, your heart couldn’t help but add a little irrationality to the mix of emotions reeling through your soul.

Papyrus sat upright almost instantly, his expression looking affronted as he returned your gesture, his carpals coming to rest upon your face, mirroring you.

“WHAT NONSENSE! THE PARTY WAS ABOSLUTELY LOVELY! I WAS DEEPLY TOUCHED BY YOUR OBVIOUS AFFECTIONS FOR ME, THOUGH WHO COULD BLAME YOU?”

That sounded more like the skeleton you knew. 

You let loose an anxious chuckle.

“Then what’s got you so out of sorts just now? Is there anything I can do to help?”

The sigh that escaped him (you’d question how he could do that later) seemed to steady his soul, yet his gaze was again averted from you.

“WHEN YOU WERE TALKING TO UNDYNE AND ALPHYS ABOUT…LINK AND SKULLKID…” He began, only to look back at you when you chuckled.

“You mean ‘Shorty’?” You teased, waggling your eyebrows at him.

“I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT DIGNIFY SUCH A TERRIBLE NAME FOR SO NOBLE A KNIGHT. HE IS LINK, KEEPER OF THE TRIFORCE OF COURAGE, AND PROTECTOR OF PRINCESS ZELDA. THAT’S ALMOST AS GOOD AS BEING A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD! NYEH!” He gave an indignant snort.

“Only teasing you, honey.” You giggled, before letting yourself slip back into a slightly more sober mood.  
“But what about them? I noticed you were pretty quiet during our conversation, when usually you’re Mister Commentator. I hope nothing I said was offensive, because if it was, it was not intentional!”

He looked…uncertain to your eyes, as if he was focusing too hard and yet not enough at the same time, before he gave you a wan smile.

Boy, was THAT a mood, and you sympathized with him completely; he affectionately squeezed your hand.

“NOTHING YOU SAID WAS BAD, MY DARLING DATEMATE, YOU CAN BE SURE OF THAT. BUT, IT MADE ME THINK: IF I DID SOMETHING THAT WAS CONSIDERED…MAYBE NOT BAD, BUT MAYBE NOT GOOD…WOULD YOU STILL…CARE FOR ME?”

You frowned for a moment.

“Could you gimmie a little more context than that Paps? Like, what do you mean by ‘maybe not bad, but maybe not good’?”

“I MEAN THAT, IF THE GREAT PAPYRUS WAS KEEPING A SECRET FROM YOU THAT COULD…POSSIBLY BE BAD. WOULD YOU STILL…UM…” He turned away from your gaze, shame faced. His teeth bowed so heavily into a scowl that, for the briefest of moments, it looked as if his canines were fang-like; a trick of the light, maybe?  
Then you looked harder, and as sure as you were human, those were definitely little fangs in his teeth. What was more was that his cheek bones, while almost imperceptible at a glance, were not as round as they once were, instead appearing as if there was there barest hint of a sharp angle to them. Overall, his change in visual aspect was subtle, to say the least, but it was enough to catch your notice. 

At first you were confused, unable to fully process just what was happening, that is until it dawned on you…

“Papyrus.” You called his name softly, only to have him flinch, ever so slightly away and something inside you broke a little.

“Hey, Papyrus.” You called his name again, only this time you weren’t going to be denied his attention. “Babe, please look at me.”

That buzzing feeling began to thrum in your chest, strong and potent and you felt yourself reach out and grab his skull tenderly between your hands, forcing him to face you. In that point in time, it felt just like the day you had first met him, as if time was slowing down to a crawl, and the next words out of your mouth would either make, or break this…

“No matter what you told me, I could never stop loving you.” You said earnestly, not batting an eyelash at the fact you said you loved him; you did.

Papyrus almost reeled back, your words hitting him like an arrow striking dead center of it’s target. He looked utterly dumbfounded, blinking his sockets at you in surprise.

“So, whatever it is that you’re hypothetically keeping in, regardless of what that might be, my love for you won’t change. And if there IS something you wanna talk about, I can wait to hear it for whenever you’re ready.”

He suddenly sat up straighter, an aristocratic expression taking over his face.

“I WISH TO TELL YOU NOW.” He said with conviction, and you kind of figured this was coming; Papyrus was good at everything except hemming and hawing.

“I HAVE BEEN KEEPING SOMETHING FROM YOU MY BEAUTIFUL ONE, AND IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE BEING DATEMATES I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MUST TELL YOU THE TRUTH: I AM AN UNREGISTERED BOSS MONSTER.” He practically wailed, thumping a fist to his sternum with emphasis.

“Is that why you have little fangs right now?” You couldn’t hide the bemused note in your voice.

“(Y/N), BE SERIOUS!” He growled, brow bones knit together in annoyance making his skull look slightly harsher than it typically did.  
“I COULD GET YOU AND SANS ARRESTED FOR THIS KNOWLEDGE, AND YES, MY FANGS ARE THE MANIFESTATION OF MY BOSSNESS; I WAS USING MY MAGIC TO HIDE THEM FROM EVERYONE.” 

“I am being serious.” You smiled, inwardly giggling at his choice of words. “But you don’t have anything to worry about.”

Papyrus brow bones flew up, his face silently asking “What?”

You quickly whipped out your cell phone, pulling up an article about the process of registration; thank the stars you had remembered the news piece that had been written about it, having read it some time ago on a lark.

“Look! This article describes the process that monsters went though to be registered.” You handed him you phone, and he took it with a quick swipe of his hand, sockets scanning the written content as his phalangy scrolled through it.  
“IT SAYS HERE THAT WHILE VOLUNTARY, IT IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED THAT ANY BOSS MONSTERS REGISTERING AS CITIZENS MAKE KNOWN THEIR BOSS STATUS…ARE YOU TELLING ME THE PROCESS FOR GIVING UP SUCH KNOWLEDGE WAS COMPLETELY BY CHOICE?!?!” He almost shrieked, only quieting down when you gently shushed him; you didn’t want to wake up Sans.

“Looks to be that way, though the wording is…highly suggestive.” You grimaced, peeking over his arm to glance at the screen again before he handed it back to you; he looked absolutely flabbergasted.

He didn’t move for a few seconds, and for a moment there you were fairly certain that Papyrus.exe had stopped working.

“SO, THIS ENTIRE TIME I HAVE BEEN WORRYING AND FRETTING, KEPT SECRETS FROM MY DATEMATE, ALMOST RUINED OUR LOVE, FOR NAUGHT?” He growled suddenly, startling you. “WHY DO I FEEL LIKE MY BROTHER SOMEHOW KNEW ABOUT THIS…?”

“I mean, when you put it like that…” You chuckled, giving his hands a reassuring squeeze; You also wondered what he meant by Sans knowing…

“Honestly Paps, you’ve nothing to worry about. And there’s no way you could have almost ‘ruined our love’. Like I said: I could never stop loving you.”

“AND MY FANGS, THEY DO NOT FRIGHTEN YOU?” He asked tentatively.

You vehemently shook your head ‘No’.

“Not in the slightest, and to be quite honest: I don’t think you should hide them. They give your already handsome skull a sexy bad boy look, and I love it.”

Papyrus let out a whoop of joy, suddenly grabbing you up in his arms and sweeping you off the couch, nuzzling and kissing your face noisily, and swinging you about as he did, catching you completely off guard; you couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up from within you, giggling like an idiot as your face was smooched into oblivion.

“AH, MY SWEET, WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE! HOW LUCKY I AM TO HAVE YOU!” He crowed with glee.  
“SHE LOVES ME! WAIT…SHE LOVES ME? OH, WHAT AM I THINKING! OF COURSE SHE LOVES ME! HOW COULD SHE NOT? I’M A SEXY BAD BOY SHE CAN’T RESIST!”

He gave you a dozen or more kisses, before gingerly setting you down to stand next to him. His cheek bones were flushed pink, and in his sockets were those adorable little stars sparkling down at you.

“IT HAS ALSO STRUCK ME THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE PROCLAIMED THAT YOU LOVE ME, (Y/N). IF WE ARE BARING OUR PROVERBIAL SOULS TO ONE ANOTHER, I MUST ADMIT THAT I,TOO, LOVE YOU!” You felt the buzzing in your chest almost explode as thrilled delight coursed through you. Standing up on your tip-toes, you planted a kiss square on his teeth, soft and sweet, even going so far as to place a reverent kiss on both of his fangs.

Papyrus was instantly flustered, and as you parted from so intimate a touch, whispering his name as you separated, he found himself sputtering a little as he tried to get his fluttering soul to calm down.

“I…UH…APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING DOMINATED SO MUCH OF THIS TALK WITH WHAT WAS OBVIOUSLY A MISUNDERSTANDING; I FEEL SO VERY SILLY NOW! YOU HAD SOMETHING YOU WISHED TO SHARE WITH ME AND I CALLOUSLY CUT IN FRONT OF YOU. WHAT WAS IT YOU WANTED TO ASK ME, MY LOVE?” The way he called you his love, that purring note in his tone sent those naughty butterflies soaring in your stomach again.

If Papyrus can be honest with me, than I can be honest with him. You thought.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves as heat began to radiate off of your face.

“Actually, Paps, I have a very, um… sensitive question to ask you.” Your voice got a little quiet, and you couldn’t help but turn your face away from him so that he wouldn’t see the mortified expression that was fighting to take over your visage. That, however, didn’t last long as you felt his warm bones gently turn your face up to look at him.

“WHATEVER IT IS, MY BEAUTIFUL DATEMATE, I CAN HANDLE IT. IT IS AS YOU SAID TO ME: WHATEVER YOU ASK THE GREAT AND AMAZING PAPYRUS, I WILL LOVE YOU, REGARDLESS.” He said, a warm smile bowing his fanged teeth.

“GO AHEAD. ASK YOUR QUESTION, MY DARLING.”

Another deep breath. Be brave! Be brave! Be brave! Just spit it out already!

“How uh…how do monsters make love?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliff hanger! Oh, my! I can't wait to see what Papyrus says! <3
> 
> My sincerest apologies for having taken so long to get this update out. I had to tear it apart, and rewrite it a couple times because I didn't like the way it was flowing, and I wanted to make sure that what I put out was staying true to how I wanted this story to go.  
> Thank you guys for being so patient!
> 
> On another note!
> 
> If anyone is interested, I have created a tumblr page for SOTD, and the other fics I have already, or will be posting, as well as doing some asks, and headcanons. I would absolutely LOVE to hear from you guys, so please drop on by and give us some sugar! 
> 
> https://chocobohoney-writes.tumblr.com/


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